Critical Inquiry: Getting to Aha!
“…many entering freshmen arrive at college in a condition of “ignorant certainty,” believing that most or all problems have definite answers, that ignorance may keep them from knowing the answer, but that the truth can be found by consulting the right expert……Only a small minority of seniors emerge convinced that ill-structured problems are susceptible to reasoned arguments based on evidence and that some answers are sounder than others.”
-Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
I. Introduction: Getting to Aha! at USC Aiken Executive summary
II. A. USCA’s identity Our QEP topic, Critical Inquiry: Getting to Aha! , was chosen because of a perceived disconnect between the USCA Mission Statement, University Values Statement, our Strategic Plan and the student outcomes we were observing through MAPP testing and NSSE survey results. Specifically, we as an institution of higher learning, place great value on critical thinking (Paul and Elder) and higher-order thinking (Bloom’s Taxonomy) , but were failing to achieve the levels of success we deemed appropriate.
Our survey of the literature (AAC&U, LEAP, Bok, “Integrative Learning”) revealed the importance of developing intellectual skills early in the collegiate experience. Therefore, in conjunction with our First Pace program for preparing entering freshmen and our First Year Reading Experience (FYRE), we are preparing a Critical Inquiry course for first-semester freshmen that will focus on developing stronger critical thinking and collaborative learning skills by providing students with structured, but student-driven, opportunities for creative problem-solving in a group-based context.
Our overall objective is to produce undergraduates who have the confidence and skills to identify complex problems and develop strategies for solving those problems in academic and everyday life. Studies have shown that the freshman year, and especially the first semester, is a critical time for undergraduates (Upcraft, Gardner, & Barefoot, 2005), but also that there must be a continuous development of learning skills (Ash 2009, refs) and it must be combined with a challenging academic atmosphere and a friendly environment of collegial interactions (refs)
Notwithstanding the importance of educating undergraduates, at USCA we acknowledge the vital importance of educating the faculty and staff in best-practices in education (Ash 2009, refs). As we move forward improving the undergraduate experience, a concomitant effort is required to realign pedagogical practices through faculty development and training (ref)
At USCA, we pride ourselves on the quality of our curriculum, the successes of our graduates, and our top ranking among peer institutions (annual ratings). However, we readily accept there will always be room for improvement (AAC&U 1994, p26). We also believe that, regardless of the academic preparation of our incoming freshmen, all students have the right to be as successful as possible and it is our responsibility to assist them. To that end, we strive to improve our curriculum whenever possible and we believe this QEP will greatly enhance the long-term quality of the educational experience offered at USCA.
II. B. USC Aiken's Mission Statement Founded in 1961, the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) is a comprehensive liberal arts institution committed to active learning through excellence in teaching, faculty and student scholarship, research, creative activities, and service. In this stimulating academic community, USCA challenges students to acquire and develop the skills, knowledge, and values necessary for success in a dynamic global environment.
The University offers degrees in the arts and sciences and in the professional disciplines of business, education, and nursing. All courses of study are grounded in a liberal arts and sciences core curriculum. USCA also encourages interdisciplinary studies and collaborative endeavors.
Emphasizing small classes and individual attention, USCA provides students with opportunities to maximize individual achievement in both academic and co-curricular settings. The institution challenges students to think critically and creatively, to communicate effectively, to learn independently, and to acquire depth of knowledge in chosen fields . The University values honesty, integrity, initiative, hard work, accomplishments, responsible citizenship, respect for diversity, and cross-cultural understanding.
USC Aiken attracts students of varying ages and diverse cultural backgrounds who have demonstrated the potential to succeed in a challenging academic environment. In addition to serving the Savannah River area, USCA actively seeks student enrollment from all parts of South Carolina as well as from other states and countries.
As a senior public institution of the University of South Carolina, USCA combines the advantages of a smaller institution with the resources of a major university system. Located in beautiful, historic Aiken, South Carolina, USCA is an institution of moderate size (2,500-5,000 students) that offers baccalaureate degrees in a number of disciplines, completion baccalaureate degrees at University of South Carolina regional campuses, and master’s degrees in selected programs.
USCA endeavors to apply knowledge, skills, and wisdom in ways that promote the common good. Accordingly, the University seeks to build strong community ties. The institution enriches the quality of life not only on campus but also throughout the surrounding region through a variety of activities including the fine and performing arts, athletics, continuing education, distance learning, and community service. In fulfilling its role as an institution of higher learning, the University of South Carolina Aiken is a community of individuals engaged in broadly based educational experiences necessary for an enlightened society.
II.C. How our QEP relates to our mission and goals at USCA “Becoming such an intentional learner means developing self-awareness about the reason for study, the learning process itself, and how education is used. Intentional learners are integrative thinkers who can see connections in seemingly disparate information and draw on a wide range of knowledge to make decisions. They adapt the skills learned in one situation to problems encountered in another: in a classroom, the workplace, their communities, or their personal lives.”
-Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“…it is the task of general education to prepare students to…develop lifelong competencies such as critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative reasoning, and problem solving.”
-Strong Foundations (AAC&U 1994)
“Integrative learning also has emotional appeal. Indeed, emotion can be a catalyst for integrative learning. When students become passionate about their learning, when a topic ignites enthusiasm, integration is more likely to happen.” -AAC&U/ Carnegie Foundation – “Integrative Learning”
At USC Aiken, our vision of education, of learning and of student engagement, flows from our institutional Mission Statement, our Statement of University Values, and our Strategic Plan. Our mission (see II.B. above) at USCA is to challenge our students “to think critically and creatively, to communicate effectively, to learn independently” in both “academic and co-curricular settings”. In the USC Aiken Statement of University Values (see *), we reiterate by stating that “we encourage the critical thinking, independent learning, and “curiosity and a love of continual learning”. The revision of the Strategic Plan for 2008-2009 (see *) identified as a priority the creation of experiential learning opportunities, and stressed the need for increased interactions between students and faculty and increasing student engagement as two ways to enhance student success and persistence.
In addition, maintaining and enhancing high quality teaching is also a major emphasis at USCA. In our Campus Vision Statement (see *), we “emphasize excellence in teaching and collaborative learning experiences”. In our Statement of University Values, we “expect and value high quality teaching and individualized attention” to students as we “aim to maximize each student’s potential”. We clarify in our Strategic Plan the need for increased “faculty release time to allow them to engage more with students”.
These aspects of our university vision are linked directly to current trends and research in postsecondary education (described in detail in Section IV) and our own assessments at USCA (Section III). We clearly recognize the need for a more specific and concerted effort to help our students become more integrative learners.
Critical Inquiry: Getting to Aha! will directly address all of the goals and objectives mentioned above. Our QEP will establish a program for first-semester freshmen that will introduce them to the power of independent and collective thinking, to the processes by which new ideas are developed and pursued, and will enable them to be better at “learning how to learn”.
III. Choosing the QEP topic for USCA “Common intellectual content should be a nonnegotiable organizing principle for these early college experiences; when students have read and discussed some of the same material in one or more classes, they are more likely to talk with their peers about these ideas outside of class, which infuses a measure of intellectual vitality into the campus culture.” -George Kuh- “High Impact Educational Practices”
“experiences that connect course content with more applied contexts also represent steps toward intentional, integrative learning.” -AAC&U/ Carnegie Foundation – “Integrative Learning”
“Access and achievement gaps disproportionately affect low-income and minority students. Historically these are the very students who have faced the greatest academic and financial challenges in getting access to or completing college.” -Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
In Fall 2008, Chancellor Tom Hallman began a series of Grapevine meetings on campus to address any issues of concern by faculty and staff, but he gave specific time at each meeting to discussions of and suggestions for the QEP topic. Requests for QEP topics were also solicited via campus email, department meetings, and standing university committees. A condensed list of QEP topics were presented to the faculty in early spring 2009 and voted on by the entire Faculty Assembly.
At the same time, in Spring 2009, the USCA faculty approved a new requirement, recommended by the General Education Review Committee, that would require all incoming freshmen, excluding transfer students, to complete a one credit hour seminar, Critical Inquiry course, during their first semester of enrollment at USC Aiken with an implementation date of Fall 2010. Students in degree programs which require more than 16 credit hours in the first semester of enrollment could complete the Critical Inquiry requirement during their second academic semester. The details of the Critical Inquiry seminar were to be:
one credit hour seminar, one-half semester, with the First Year Reading Experience book as the conceptual foundation;
class size limited to 20 students;
faculty from any discipline eligible to teach the course;
each faculty member teaching the Critical inquiry seminar would teach two sections as the equivalent of 3 contact hours of his/her regular 12 contact hour teaching load;
faculty workshops would be offered to provide course development and delivery support.
When Critical Inquiry was selected as the QEP topic for USC Aiken, the decision was made to incorporate the Critical Inquiry seminar into the QEP and change the implementation date to Fall 2011. This adjustment was announced by the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to the ad hoc General Education Review Committee (July 2009), the Courses and Curricula Committee (Minutes of 9-17-09 C&C Committee meeting) and the Faculty Assembly (Minutes of 9-30-09 Faculty Assembly meeting).
Developing the QEP In July 2009, the Director of the QEP Committee was selected, a committee was chosen representing every academic unit on campus and with representatives from Student Affairs, Academic Advising, University Marketing, and…?
The QEP Committee began its deliberations in August 2009 by creating a working definition of Critical Inquiry: Critical inquiry is the process of gathering and evaluating information, ideas, and assumptions from multiple perspectives to produce well-reasoned analysis and understanding, and leading to new ideas, applications and questions. (QEP Committee Minutes, 9-23-09)
Students were actively involved in the development of the QEP from January 2010. A number (how many?) of student focus groups were conducted not only to obtain feedback on students' perceptions of good teaching and critical thinking experiences, but also to provide input into the design of the look of the QEP (logos), the marketing strategy, dissemination of the QEP information, and to contribute to web design. A graphic design class (AART 145) produced 20 possible logo designs and students from a marketing class (AMKT 454) produced a marketing strategy that..... The student newspaper (Pacer Times).... The input of the students was instrumental in the QEP development plans such that.... (add as these activities are finished)
Why choose Critical Inquiry? The development of critical thinking skills has been identified as one of the greatest needs in postsecondary education in our ever-expanding global economy and in the continually evolving workplace (See review in section IV). With high school education increasingly oriented around test-based assessment and restricted by budgetary considerations, students are less and less prepared for the kind of work and thinking that will be demanded of them in college. The dearth of hands-on, experience-based learning leaves high school students vulnerable when they begin their college matriculation and immediately encounter college-level expectations that may be based on learning modalities with which they have little experience.
At the same time, 90% of all high school seniors expect to enroll in college with rising numbers of first-generation attendees and under-represented social groups (Kuh 2007, McCarthy and Kuh 2006). In South Carolina, the dream of a college education is fostered by relatively easy to earn state scholarships. At USCA, we are committed to the success of all students and, with recently raised acceptance criteria, we believe all are capable of succeeding. However, nearly 60% of freshmen with state scholarships fail to maintain the GPA necessary to retain their financial support after their first year of study (*USCA data). A disproportionate number of those students are first-generation attendees and/or from under-represented social groups (*USCA data).
Our assessments clearly indicated some trouble areas. First, the NSSE results from 2004, 2006, and 2008 indicated that our students, ...?
Second, MAPP scores suggested that USCA freshmen are not prepared for the college curriculum and lag behind national averages (Fall 2009 results). Specifically, critical thinking scores were lower than any other assessment field and 95% of the students tested scored “not proficient” in critical thinking. Although only 2% scored “proficient” nationally, only 1% of USCA students did. In other subject areas, scores were similarly low for USCA students. Reading and math scores were well below national averages. Writing was equal to the national average, but only 14% of the USCA freshmen scored “proficient” at Level 2 (see Section VII for descriptions of the MAPP criteria).
USCA is annually rated as one of the top public undergraduate institutions in the south (USN&WR) and therefore these assessments of our freshmen are sobering. Although the faculty and staff at USCA believe that the post-graduation accomplishments of our students are the true indicators of our educational quality, we also believe that the educational process must be dynamic and modern. Employers have reiterated the growing need for students capable of thinking independently, or working collaboratively, and of being strong process-oriented problem-solvers (AAC&U, Spelling Report). Our MAPP results of freshman-to-senior improvement in critical thinking (need Spring 2010 results) can and should be improved if USCA graduates are to compete in the state, national, and world workforce. Indeed, our greatest concern is not for the high-achieving students (who will probably succeed regardless of early intervention), but the medium to low achieving students whose potential for career success will likely increase with a more focused freshman experience.
In light of national and institutional data, we believe the road to the greater development of higher-order thinking skills is to engage our students from the moment they join our campus community; to foster learning by creating structured groups of freshmen with a common purpose and a well-defined pathway to achievement.
Over the course of four years at USCA, we believe an inclusive, peer-mentored, learning environment will create in our students a genuine commitment to long-term personal growth and community involvement and that this will attitude will be reflected in tests of critical thinking skills for seniors and in career choices as they leave USCA.
Critical Inquiry and the USCA commitment to students Meeting the educational goals of USCA is hampered both by the lack of preparedness in incoming freshmen for college pedagogy and learning and expectations (*Greater Expectations) and by our (mandated) inability to offer remedial courses. Failure (a.k.a. DFW) rates in freshmen courses are high and leave psychological scars on the students, the campus, and the community. The inability of freshmen to succeed in entry-level courses both lengthens their matriculation time and is a strong predictor of lower student retention (*).
At USCA, our commitment to student success leaves us little choice but to focus on methods to improve student success without lowering academic standards. In 2005, we transformed our first-year seminar (AFYS 101), by creating designated sections for several academic majors, and implementing common course content and learning outcomes across all sections of the course. In 2006, we implemented a pre-enrollment summer program for at-risk high school seniors, called First Pace, to prepare them for the academic rigors of college. In 2007, we began the First-Year Reading Experience (FYRE) to inculcate a pattern of reading and thoughtful discussion in freshmen, and coupled it with a Freshmen Convocation. In 2009, we began an Inter-Curricular Enhancement (ICE) program to encourage students to explore and experience academic enrichment on campus and to broaden academic horizons.
The Critical Inquiry: Getting to Aha! program is an important next step in our efforts to invigorate the liberal arts tradition at USCA and make the educational journal richer and more worthwhile.
Critical Inquiry and the USCA commitment to faculty development In close conjunction with our efforts to enhance the student experience, we embrace the opportunity to allow faculty to grow and enrich their own experiences as educators. We recognize the need for informing the faculty and staff, for developing new and exciting pedagogies, and for encouraging the use of best practices across all disciplines to foster critical thinking in students. The QEP is a major opportunity for faculty development at USCA: a faculty that values improving and evolving pedagogies is a faculty that embraces excellence.
University faculty rarely have a background in educational theory and practice and, once hired, rarely have the time and opportunity to learn new teaching techniques. A vital and integral part of this QEP will be providing opportunities for faculty training in the instruction of critical thinking pedagogy. Just as a first semester course for freshmen is expected to create a cascading effect as students move into upper-level coursework, the opportunity to use new instructional techniques in introductory courses will have a complementary effect on other courses taught by our faculty. In the long run, we truly anticipate that our faculty will gain from the Critical Inquiry course as much as our students will.
In this sense, we view progress toward lifelong learning as being an important and complementary outcome of a USCA education and we expect our faculty and students both to engage in this process.
IV. Literature review Background As students mature, their ability to think in new ways becomes more possible and more expected in postsecondary education (*, Bloom). However, capability and ability for higher order thinking are not necessarily linked developmentally: students must be trained and encouraged to think in new ways about abstract and complex ideas.
The ability to “think about thinking” is often termed “metacognition” and involves the ability to see the larger picture, to know what information is known and what must yet be obtained, to plan and predict, and to develop a better understanding of the context of learning (Glaser 1984, AAC&U “Integrative Learning”). This process of gaining cognitive self-awareness becomes possible as the human brain matures, but must be practiced in order to develop fully.
As student matriculate through elementary and secondary education, the focus is less on higher order thinking (and these abilities are not yet within reach of most students) and more on obtaining the necessary background of factual knowledge (AAC&U Greater Expectations). Ideally, as students get older, the focus of their education should shift toward more integrative and synthetic thinking, toward developing and strengthening cognitive skills beyond mere memorization, toward applying existing knowledge to new problems and new situations. This progress is considered a benchmark of educational excellence (AAC&U College Learning). However, numerous studies have clearly indicated a declining ability in college freshmen for integrative and critical thinking (*) which reflects, at some level, reflects a failure of the educational process to foster these thinking skills.
Indeed, over 50% of all college freshmen require some course remediation (AAC&U Greater Expect.) and these students are among the least likely to eventually graduate. Students from lower economic conditions (Conley 2007), or are first-generation attendees, or from under-represented social groups are often the least prepared and face higher likelihood of failure (Spelling Report, *). This poor preparation for the expectations of college can stem from having no college-educated family members, graduating from poorly financed high schools, or having to work to support themselves while in college (Spelling Report,*). For USCA, these are the very social demographics that make up a majority of the incoming freshmen class (see section xx).
Preparation for the rigors of college must begin in high school, but many, if not most, high school seniors do not possess the study habits and mental toughness that are helpful for the challenges of college (HSSSE, Kuh 2007). Further, these habits are unlikely to be developed during the senior year of high school: George Kuh (2007) described the senior year as a “wasteland” because seniors nationwide are increasingly disengaged from the educational process once they finalize their university plans.
While many in education and society bemoan the decreasing level of preparation for college work, cognitive development of students within the college curriculum is declining as well. In part, this can be attributed to the time necessary for bringing students ”up to speed” (AAC&U ‘College Learning’), but it also stems from an unwillingness of the faculty to assign difficult problems/projects that will, in all likelihood, be completed poorly or not be completed at all. Freshmen report that they study less, write less, and read less than they expected to (Kuh 2007, NSSE) and this is very likely a reflection of lowered faculty expectations. Thus, as with a positive feedback cycle, where poor results foster lowered expectations, the college curriculum is losing ground as well (Kuh 2007).
The result, and one that has been developing for many years, is a decreased readiness among college graduates for the workplace after graduation. Employers in the US are unhappy with the level of preparedness they find in new employees (Spelling Report, AAC&U). Employers face many uncertainties in the short and long-term and value strong critical thinking skills, writing ability, and problem-solving skills, and willingness to collaborate (AAC&U). These are identical to the learning outcomes expected of college students and desired by most faculty. This may be one of the most promising aspects of the current educational crisis: we have strong consensus on the desired student learning outcomes. Fortunately, we have a wealth of guidance on how to achieve these shared goals.
New directions Critical thinking skills develop as students’ minds develop, and they increase in acuity with time and practice (Bok –OUS). Great progress, in fact, can take place in the first two years of college (Bok-OUS). By applying what are termed “high impact educational practices” (Kuh-HIEP) during this window of opportunity, great strides can be achieved in enhancing student learning which then correspond with higher achievement, and also retention and graduation rates.
Improvement in critical thinking is positively correlated with the time spent engaged, participating, and discussing ideas and information with other students and with faculty (Bok-OUS). This is especially true when students have divergent views and backgrounds - learning is actually facilitated. Traditionally under-served student groups benefit even more than others by engaging in purposeful learning activities. For example, Kuh (HIEP) found that African American students may surpass Caucasian American students in accomplishment and persistence. Despite these findings, most students enter college with very little preparation in critical thinking and research and colleges are faced with the task of introducing students to these new ways of thinking (AAC&U "College Learning") which only slows their progress toward college-level achievement (Conley 2007, Redefining..)
One notable high impact practice that fosters creative and critical thinking is a well-developed first-year seminar (Kuh-HIEP) in which students have the opportunity to engage in “inquiry-based learning” and work collaboratively with their peers (AAC&U ‘College Learning’). Students in such situations can learn to collect and evaluate information, compare competing interpretations, recognize and analyze assumptions, solve problems, and become more effective communicators (AAC&U ‘College Learning’). In both the short- and long-term, these activities lead to highly desirable cognitive development and are correlated with success in later coursework. In addition, intense and repeated practice thinking leads to grater acuity and success in dealing with real-world problems (Bok OUS) which is one of the ultimate goals of the undergraduate experience.
The first-year seminar forces students to learn independently and as an individual, not anonymously in a crowd. Direct interactions with faculty and involvement in real research encourages students to choose a research-related field as a career (Kuh- HIEP). In addition and very importantly, these interactions introduces students to and trains them in the kinds of thinking that college faculty expect and value. As the National Research Council (2002, Redefining..) reports, faculty expect students to "make inferences, interpret results, analyze conflicting explanations of phenomena, support arguments with evidence, solve complex problems that have no obvious answer, reach conclusions, offer explanations, conduct research, engage in the give-and-take of ideas, and generally think deeply about what they are being taught." These values are at the heart of any undergraduate curriculum. Indeed, when students feel a part of the educational process, understand the expectations, and are capable of meeting them, they are also able to take control of their learning (Taking Responsibility).
The lack of preparedness in college freshmen has been a central focus for numerous national studies and reviews. Detailed and specific recommendations for altering and improving general education have emerged and these have been instrumental in shaping the QEP discussion at USC Aiken. Specifically, the Principles of Excellence and Essential Learning Outcomes in the AAC&U's Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) Report emphasize teaching "the arts of inquiry and innovation" and intellectual and practical skills such as inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, and teamwork and problem-solving. These "best practices" should be accomplished through common intellectual experiences and collaborative problem-solving assignments that require inter-disciplinary understanding and discipline-appropriate methodologies (Kuh-HIEP, AAC&U 2004 Our Students best work).
A prepared faculty The need for greater faculty development has been noted in many recent high-profile reports. However, while pedagogical techniques are often cited as being out of date and, perhaps, out of touch with the current generation, a greater underlying problem is more likely to be the difficulty in training faculty in new techniques or in providing feedback on current practices. With teaching, research, and service obligations an ever-present burden on available time, it is little wonder faculty have few opportunities to take advantage of teaching workshops.
For many years, it has been very common to hear college faculty complain about the quality and preparedness of freshmen (Sanoff 2006). The challenge of bringing new college students "up to speed" is daunting (*). College faculty need a better understanding of the techniques that provide greater accessibility of the course material and can bring about rapid improvement in student's cognitive skills. This can be achieved primarily through modification of pedagogical methodology (Redefining college readiness) and this must be part of a coordinated re-education of the faculty.
Traditionally, college courses place a great focus on course content because of the need for a knowledge foundation that prepares students for upper level courses. However, content delivery and assessment of learning outcomes are often not well integrated. And faculty are rarely well-versed in assessing student cognitive abilities. The most faculty who are most successful at developing critical thinking skills are able to identify misconceptions that create obstacles to learning, guide the students toward independent thinking, and use assessments that are closely linked to stated learning outcomes. (Bok- OUS). When students become independent and engaged learners, faculty not only have succeeded in the educational objectives, but reap the rewards of having qualified and capable students.
Increasing student achievement is inextricably linked to an actively learning and well-prepared faculty.
V. Student Learning Outcomes
“The best undergraduate education for the twenty-first century will be based on a liberal education that produces an individual who is intentional about learning and life, empowered, informed, and responsible. Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
A liberal education is a practical education because it develops just those capabilities needed by every thinking adult: analytical skills, effective communication, practiced intelligence, ethical judgment, and social responsibility. By expecting students to collaborate productively with people who are unlike them, a liberal education strengthens interpersonal skills useful in the workplace and community life.” Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“In brief, the outcomes we propose are 2. deep understanding of and hands-on experience with the inquiry practices of disciplines that explore the natural, social, and cultural realms – achieved and demonstrated through studies that build conceptual knowledge by engaging learners in concepts and modes of inquiry that are basic to the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts; 5. habits of mind that foster integrative thinking and the ability to transfer skills and knowledge from one setting to another – achieved and demonstrated through advanced research and/or creative projects in which students take the primary responsibility for framing questions, carrying our analysis, and producing work of substantial complexity and quality.” AAC&U – “Our Students’ Best work”
“A huge part of the information gathering process takes place outside of the classroom. Successful students know how to make a research plan and carry it out. Also, student should have the following skills: 1. The ability to identify a source. 2. The ability to distinguish the degree of quality and reliability of information. 3. The ability to connect information from sources to support an argument. 4. The ability to be disciplined in doing research. Conley 2003 – “Understanding University Success”
V. Student Learning Outcomes A. The Critical Inquiry course
B. Long-term outcomes
C. Co-curricular engagement
Co-curricular activities are often considered as “practical” or “indirect” learning opportunities. Those experiences outside the classroom that prepare students in ways that traditional learning cannot. Traditional classroom learning is enhanced by co-curricular activities, which help students integrate their new knowledge. In an age where a global economy may require a higher level of knowledge and a grasp of multiple skills, the broad education that the co-curriculum can provide results in a more complete development of the student, and a better preparation for life after graduation. For the purpose of the Critical Inquiry (CI) class, co-curricular activities provide new opportunities to test concepts and theories learned.
Of the many different ideas discussed for activities to compliment the Critical Inquiry course, four areas were selected to focus on: 1. CI Blog 2. Community Service 3. World of Work 4. Peer Mentoring
CREATING A BLOG
Definition/Description A “Weblog” or “blog” for Critical Inquiry class purposes is a community diary of impressions, expressions, and reflections written by members of the freshman class in a central website location. The blog may also contain photos, audio clips or video clips.
Rationale based on Research According to Will Richardson, author of Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms “…blogs can strengthen reading and writing skills and teach students about the new literacy of the Internet age such as evaluating sources and synthesizing information.” (Imperatore 2009) Writing journals and reflective diaries have often been used in the humanities as educational tools, as Shih-Hsien Yang wrote in Educational Technology and Society:
“Journal writing is effective in developing students’ metacognitive and reflective skills.” (Morrison 1996) “Furthermore collaborative writing affords students the opportunity to share ideas and provide each other with feedback.” (Storch 2005) A blog seems to be helpful in encouraging and nurturing discussion that enhances students’ reflection. (Yang 2009)
One outstanding success story took place in a public school in Liberty, Missouri, with a virtual book club moderated by a history faculty member. About 300 student readers joined a blog about a historical novel that was set in their region. The book’s author joined the blog by invitation along with a variety of other participants such as a college professor from Louisiana and a language arts class from another school. Even the president of the school board in Liberty, Missouri, joined the blog. (Langhorst 2007)
Result The results of students engaging in blogs is that it will increase their participation in the expression of views and opinions with regards to class content
Assessment A simple direct assessment will take place by counting the number of students who participate in the blog along with how often students post to the blog. Additional assessment will be done by tracking the number of page views that the blog gets daily.
Closing Based on the above description and rationale along with the supporting research, the use of a blog by the freshmen in the Critical Inquiry classes will stimulate reflective learning and engage students with one another and their professors.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Description We believe that students who participate in volunteerism and community service will be able to think more critically after their volunteer and service experience than before. We believe this will be so because students who get involved in their communities will be more likely to see the connection between their in class and out of class experiences.
In order to encourage and facilitate more critical thinking on the part of the students at USCA, we will make service learning a vital component of the critical inquiry course. Participation in a variety of community service activities including but not limited to: Alternative Fall and/or Spring Break, First Day of Service, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Dance Marathon, Relay for Life, Sleep Out for the Homeless, and Hunger Banquet will be encouraged as part of this course. Students will be required to complete a set number of course objectives and activities. Community service will be one of the options a student can select to participate in in order to complete their CI portfolio.
Rationale and Research There is quite a bit of research to support this idea that service learning can contribute to a student’s ability to think critically. According to Hamrick, Evans and Schuh “A range of student learning and developmental outcomes is attainable through well-designed and carefully implemented intensive service learning programs: civic education or education for citizenship, personal and spiritual development, critical thinking, values clarification, integration of theory and practice, applications enrichment of content-based knowledge, and maintaining a civil society” (p. 201). According to Astin, one of the outcomes of volunteer service while in college includes “development of critical thinking skills” (1996). He goes on to say that “participation in service-based programs favorably affects persistence in college, interest in graduate study, critical thinking skills…” (p. 16). Kendall found that service-learning programs combine “tasks needed in the community with intentional learning goals and with conscious reflection and critical analysis” (1991). Eyler and Giles found that there are a number of positive effects on students who participate in service learning including, “understanding and applying knowledge, critical thinking” (1999). Terenzini states that “gains in critical thinking are not just a consequence of the instructional process… such gains are a result of class-related and out-of-class experiences” (1993 p. 10). If we trust these touted experts in the field of higher education and student affairs we must believe that service learning and community service can lead students to think and inquire more critically. Result Students will show the ability to work on real world problems by participating in service learning.
Assessment We will measure the success of service learning (community service and volunteerism) through a number of means. We will distribute surveys during the class evaluation process of the Critical Inquiry class each semester. We will look at our participation numbers in service programs prior to the critical inquiry class and after the class has been instituted at USCA to see if the numbers increase. We will measure freshman involvement in community service programs and ask these students why they are participating. We will track the hours of service done each semester. We will look through the CIRP survey and use that information provided to compile a pre-test to see how many students are already involved in community service and see if that number increases during the semester. We could use portable scanners and databases to track the students participating in community service. And we will use the portfolio students are required to complete as part of the critical inquiry class to see if involvement in service learning is increasing the students’ abilities to think more critically.
WORLD OF WORK
Description The world of work co-curricular activity draws the connection between critical inquiry and the workplace. This is done by providing an opportunity for professionals from various occupations to communicate the value of critical inquiry and critical thinking in their organizations. Students would therefore by able to understand how the concepts they learn in the CI course, as well as the rest of college, are applied in the world of work. This could be done in several ways:
1. Employer panel · Students in the CI course will attend a panel made up of employer representatives from various occupations and professions. The focus of the panel would be on why critical inquiry is important to today’s companies and organizations and how it is used in the workplace. Employers would emphasize why they seek future employees who possess these skills.
2. Employer Interviews · Students interview employers including questions that relate to critical inquiry in the workplace.
Rationale In a recent letter for the On Line Newsletter, June Klees states, “A common challenge that educators face from students is the question “Why do I need this class?” Though we want to believe that students intuitively understand the importance of our subjects, often they do not. Many struggle to relate our disciplines to their lives” (Klees 2010).
On that same theme, a survey by Eduventures asked the question, “what do students value in education?” 72% of freshmen valued professional preparation the highest. As they dedicate the time and finances to obtain this goal, it would seem to make sense that they would want the educational information they are obtaining to relate to that career goal.
Supporting Research Research seems to support the notion that critical thinking and critical inquiry are extremely important in today’s workplace. Halpern states, “Advances in technology and changes in necessary workplace skills have made the ability to think critically more important than ever before… (Halpern, 1998). Others reinforce this concept. In 2009, Hart Research Associates interviewed 302 employers whose organizations have at least 25 employees from both the private and nonprofit sectors. When assessing today’s global economy, employer response rates were as follows:
88% agreed that challenges employees face within their company are more complex today than they were in the past
88% agreed that to succeed in their company, employees need higher levels of learning and knowledge today than they did in the past
Additionally, 81% of employers surveyed said colleges and universities should place more emphasis than they do today on learning outcomes related to Critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills. In similar fashion, McLester and McIntire state, “Perhaps not surprising is the finding that employers place much greater value on the applied skills of leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving than on more traditional basic skills such as reading comprehension or mathematics.” (McLester & McIntire 2006)
Result Students will understand the importance critical inquiry & critical thinking play in the workplace.
Assessment
Assessment for this area would be very qualitative in nature. We will distribute surveys during the class evaluation process of the Critical Inquiry class each semester. Questions will assess whether students believe the CI class's focus on critical thinking is something that will help them in their career after graduation.
PEER MENTORING
Description For the Critical Inquiry class purposes, peer mentoring is defined as the opportunity for upperclassmen (sophomore students) which have completed the CI course to provide mentoring to new freshmen who are currently enrolled in a CI course. This opportunity provides reciprocal benefits to both the peer mentor and new freshmen. Peer mentors will have the opportunity to engage in an immersed learning opportunity through practicing the skills they have previously been taught. Additionally, the new freshmen will have the opportunity to not only learn curriculum content from faculty members, but to observe the CI course skills in action through their observation and interaction with their assigned peer mentors.
Peer mentor participation may be utilized through assistance with the aforementioned CI blogs and community service initiatives, as well as through one-on-one direct mentoring of new students.
Rationale and Research Tinto (1988) reflected upon Van Gennep’s 1909 anthropological text The Rites of Passage to describe a student’s transition to college. During this process, Tinto stated that to successfully become a member of the college community, students must progress through various stages which include transition and incorporation into the college community. During the transition stage, students begin “to acquire the norms and patterns of behavior appropriate to integration into the new communities of college” (Tinto, 1988, p. 444). The final stage of incorporation occurs when the student adopts new norms and becomes a functioning member of the new community.
Van Gennep’s stages of transition and incorporation therefore correlate with the overall projected goal of student learning as stated in the USCA Quality Enhancement Plan handbook in the following way:
Student Learning Defined. Within the context of the QEP as a requirement for reaffirmation, the Commission on Colleges broadly defines student learning as changes in
• knowledge, • skills, • behaviors, • or values.
In order to assist new students in becoming acculturated to the college community, Walter Wallace (1964) hypothesized that “entering Freshmen are quickly socialized into the prevailing college-student culture by Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors” (1964, p. 304). Wallace’s study of college freshmen indicated that there will be college community guidance from upper classmen in what to expect during this new stage of their life. Therefore, it proposed that peer mentoring be an integral part of the acculturation process for new freshmen into the USCA community to aid in the successful transition and integration of new students as they achieve the student learning goal changes in the knowledge, skills, behaviors and values deemed appropriate to the USCA community.
Result The result of peer mentoring will be an increased identification and involvement with the campus community for the mentees, and increased learning and skill development for the mentors.
Assessment A method of pre- and post- assessment survey/questionnaires will be conducted with students selected as Peer Mentors for the CI course. These pre- and post- assessment survey/questionnaires will be used to provide qualitative comparison data between a students level of involvement, or use of, skills previously learned during their freshmen participation as a CI student and the hopefully increased level of use of skills during their sophomore experience as a CI Peer Mentor. Additionally, focus groups can also be conducted with each cohort of Peer Mentors to obtain qualitative data which will provide deeper insight into how they have incorporated CI learned or enhanced skills during their service as a mentor.
Astin, A.W. (1998). The changing Americal college student: Thirty-year trends, 1966-1996. Review of Higher Education, 21 (2), 115-135.
Astin, A.W., & Sax, L.J. (1998). How undergraduates are affected by service participation. Journal of College Student Development, 39, 251-264.
Eyler, N.J., Forney, D.S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1999). Where’s the learning in service learning? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Halpern, D. F. (1998). Teaching critical thinking for transfer across domains: Dispositions, skills, structure training, and metacognitive monitoring. American Psychologist53(4), 449-55. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Hamrick, F.A., N. J. Evans, J. H. Schuh. (2002). Foundations of Student Affairs Practice: How Philosophy, Theory, and Research Strengthen Educational Outcomes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hart Research Associates. (2010). Raising the bar: Employer’s views on college learning in the wake of the economic downturn. (A survey among employers conducted on behalf of: the Association of American Colleges and Universities). Retrieved February 28, 2010, from. http://www.aacu.org/leap/documents/2009_EmployerSurvey.pdf.
Imperatore, Catherine. “Wikis and Blogs: Your Keys to Student Collaboration & Engagement.” Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers 84.3 (2009): 30-31. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 February 2010.
Kendall, J.C. (1991). Combining service and learning: An introduction for cooperative education professionals. Journal of Cooperative Education, 27(2), 9-25.
Morrison, Keith. “Developing Reflective Practice in Higher Degree Students Through a
Learning Journal.” Studies in Higher Education 21.3 (1996): 317-332. Academic Search Premier. Web. 26 February 2010.
Storch, Neomy. “Collaborative Writing: Product, Process, and Students’ Reflections.” Journal of Second Language Writing 14.3 (2005): 153-173. Academic Search Premier. Web.
26 February 2010.
Terenzini, P.T. (1993). Influences affecting the development of students’ critical thinking skills. University Park, PA: National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning and Assessment. (ERIC Document no. ED 372 666).
Yang, Shih-Hsien. “Using Blogs to Enhance Critical Reflection and Community of Practice.” Educational Technology & Society 12.2 (2009): 11-21. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 8 February 2010.
VI. Faculty Development “College faculty routinely complain that college freshmen are not adequately prepared for success in their courses. Regardless of whether this is true, it does not change the fact and faculty have a challenge with respect to teaching their students. Because they cannot change the preparedness of the students, the most logical approach should be to consider what it is about their curriculum that is not accessible to their students and consider modifying their pedagogical techniques.” -“Redefining College Readiness”
“To sum up, instructors who do best at teaching critical thinking tend to follow a number of guiding principles. They begin not by deciding what material they ought to cover but by concentrating on what it is they want their students to learn….They search for misconceptions…They encourage their students to think for themselves….They evaluate their students through papers and tests closely tied to the objectives of the course…they try to convey high expectations for the class while giving students confidence that they can succeed.” -Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
Introduction From its beginning during the Golden Age of Athens, the Western model of higher education has involved the interplay of a committed, well-prepared faculty and a curious, engaged student body. The interplay between these two groups has resulted not only in the development of the modern university system, but also in the vast body of knowledge that the university system has produced. Over the course of the two and a half millennia since the inception of the Socratic Method that lies at the heart of our educational system, new technologies and new ideas have altered the methods by which knowledge is gathered and shared. However, the basic relationship between the groups involved in the process—faculty and students—has remained the same. When it comes to the role of faculty in higher education, then, the lesson of history is clear: “faculty must be at the forefront of defining educational objectives for students and developing meaningful, evidence-based measures of their progress toward these goals” (Dept of Education – Spelling Report).
If the Quality Enhancement Project at USC Aiken is to succeed, a significant and continuing focus must be placed by the institution as a whole on faculty development that supports the Critical Inquiry initiative in all its phases. The participation of a committed, well-equipped, and thoroughly-prepared faculty is the most important single factor in the process of developing, implementing, and integrating a Critical Inquiry course that will significantly improve the performance of USCA’s students—in the classroom, on campus, and in life. To this end, individual faculty members must be motivated to volunteer to teach Critical Inquiry courses. These faculty volunteers must be given the tools and training necessary to not only survive, but thrive, in the CI classroom. And an effort must be made to ensure the participation of faculty members from all areas of the university in the CI experience.
In order to achieve these goals, the QEP initiative should focus on three main areas with regard to faculty:
Faculty Development
Faculty Involvement
Faculty Inducements
Faculty Development: The essential element in implementing a successful CI course is faculty development. Faculty development workshops will be key to providing CI faculty with the tools and training necessary to ensure that the CI experience will be a success for both teachers and students. One common complaint of university faculty is that “freshman students are not adequately prepared for success in their courses. Regardless of whether this is true . . . faculty have a challenge with respect to teaching . . . . Because they cannot change the preparedness of the students, the most logical approach should be to consider what it is about their curriculum that is not accessible . . . and consider modifying their pedagogical approach” (“Redefining College Readiness”). The aim of the CI course is to better prepare students for success at the university - both in and out of the classroom. Faculty development workshops will enable CI faculty to accomplish this task.
Faculty development workshops will target the skills necessary to help participating faculty members compile and deliver course elements that promote the desired Student Learning Outcomes for the CI course. To this end, faculty development workshops will provide suggestions for class meetings and offer ready-made resources that faculty members can use in the course. Elements of syllabus construction will be linked to assessment rubircs and will incorporate CI-SLOs. Additional topics will include incorporating technology and social networking sites into the CI experience. Of great importance to the faculty training process will be to create a faculty consensus on what critical inquiry is, how it can be assessed, and how it can be integrated effectively into subsequent courses that are not CI-specific
A second aspect of faculty training for the CI course is well summarized by Derek Bok, “Many investigators have found that critical thinking and learning in general can be enhanced by giving students problems and having them teach each other by working together in groups . . . Where these conditions exist, the great majority of studies show that participating students make much greater gains over those achieved by classmates studying individually or competing with one another” (“Our Underachieving Students”). To promote the integration of critical inquiry in the classroom experience (post-CI course), the primary instructional mode will focus on crating highly-interactive student groups for whom the goal will be the design of a group project. Therefore, faculty will receive This emphasis will be coordinated with the proposed group project competition whose winner(s) will be recognized/awarded during the Research Day festivities in the spring semester. The art of designing a workshop-based course will be a particular focus.
Another most helpful topic for faculty development workshops will be the current lay of the land for writing and research in high school. High school writing and science teachers should address CI faculty on perceived student strengths/weaknesses.
The structure of these faculty development workshops will be at least as important as their contents. In order to benefit from such workshops, CI faculty must attend. To help ensure faculty attendance, two types of workshops will be held. The first type of workshop will be a short version, focusing on a single topic or a group of closely-related topics. These short workshops will be one full day or two partial days in duration, and pay the attending faculty member $500. The second type of workshop will be a longer version, which is comprehensive in nature. These week-long, comprehensive workshops will cover all of the topics offered in the shorter workshops, and pay the attending faculty member 3.75% of salary.
Flexibility will be a key factor in promoting faculty participation. There must be multiple opportunities for faculty to attend the workshops. The weeklong, comprehensive workshops should be offered in the summer. The shorter workshops should be offered in both summer and in the fall/spring semesters.
Faculty development workshops should be administered through the Center for Teaching Excellence. A mixture of campus-based and outside speakers should be employed. This mix should incorporate compensated rotating workshop leadership opportunities for faculty who taught the previous semester or year.
Faculty Involvement: The third element in creating and implementing a successful CI initiative is broad faculty involvement. To that end, every effort should be made to involve the entire USCA faculty in the implementation of the CI courses. Ideally, all full-time faculty from all areas and schools should eventually teach a CI course.
To help make total faculty participation reality, strong urging from the administration to the unit heads will be required. Unit heads should be encouraged to establish a regular rotation of faculty members to teach the CI course. In addition, repeated, clear emphasis that the administration will not be prescriptive in its suggestions for teaching the CI course will be necessary. Faculty must have the freedom to approach the goals/objectives of the CI course using their own personal teaching philosophies and styles.
Long-term enhancement of teaching practice
Faculty Inducements: One of the most basic tenets of economics is that humans respond to incentives and university faculty are no exception. A significant reason for a potential reluctance to embark on new programs is the heavy obligations most faculty already experience in the workplace that include course management, research, service obligations, and committee work. Therefore, in order to ensure broad faculty participation in the QEP, a variety of incentives will be offered. A critical reason for an incentive system is the clear signal it sends to the faculty regarding the support of the USCA administration for the QEP and faculty development.
The first and most important inducement to faculty participation in teaching the Critical Inquiry course, and to undertaking the faculty development necessary to do so, is economic. While the faculty load per semester for the CI course will only be two hours, each faculty member will receive compensation for three hours. The CI course represents an additional "prep" and the additional time will allow faculty to prepare and manage the course.
CI instructors will be required to attend faculty development workshops focused on the teaching of the course and will be essential prior to teaching the CI course. The primary training sessions will take place in the summer as week-long summer workshops. However, as faculty are off-contract during the summer and salary from summer courses is economically important, all faculty will be compensated for taking the training course commensurate with their regular salary. Weekend sessions during the academic year will offer an optional training opportunity to those faculty desiring to be CI course instructors, but unable to participate during the summer.
Non-financial incentives will also be key to faculty recruitment for the CI course. CI instructors will be offered the option to teach the required two one-hour CI courses concurrently, either at the beginning of the term or at the end of the term, to give the teaching faculty member some time off before/after the CI courses. CI faculty will be given priority for course selection and scheduling by their respective unit heads for all non-CI courses during the CI semester.
In addition to economic and scheduling incentives, teaching the CI course must be made as attractive a prospect as possible. For example, the two roundtable discussions required as part of the faculty obligation will be offered in a "retreat" style with attention given to the ambience and amenities. Student "Peer Mentors" will assist the instructors in the CI courses and will be drawn from a pool previously participants who have been identified by faculty for their excellence and potential (link to the Peer Mentor section of the Student Learning Outcomes section and the Implementation section).
Pedagogical Goals * Develop student understanding of critical inquiry as a process rather than a product
Foster student curiosity and interest in deeper learning
Challenge students to think critically, analytically, and creatively
Promote small group learning and collaboration
Cultivate habits of mind/intellectual dispositions
Develop skills in questioning, synthesizing, and problem solving
Promote active learning and engagement
Promote applied learning (both in terms of applying ideas to new situations, etc., and acting on what has been learned)
Reinforce/expand critical inquiry through ICE events, campus and community service projects, etc.
Reinforce critical inquiry skills and approaches through “vertical integration” (QEP Committee Minutes, 10-21-09) of CI into other general education courses as well as the major curricula
Faculty Development Goals
Supportive learning community for faculty that promotes pedagogical discussions
Staff workshops on promoting CI
Stronger connections/engagement between freshmen students, peer mentors, and faculty/staff
Institutional Goals
Stronger connections among freshmen students
Stronger connections between freshmen students, peer mentors, and faculty and staff
Improve academic success (Will performance in CI predict overall academic success?)
Improve retention
“A mix of individual and collective classroom activities teaches about independence and about interdependence. Group projects nurture negotiation skills, conflict resolution, teamwork, collaboration, and a practical understanding or people from diverse backgrounds.” Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“…many of our postsecondary institutions have not embraced opportunities for innovation, from new methods of teaching and content delivery to technological advances to meeting the increasing demand for lifelong learning.” Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
“What is needed in teaching for integration, then, is similar to what is needed in learning: an intentional approach. For faculty, this means systematic reflection on and inquiry into the specific challenges and dilemmas faculty face in the classroom; it means bringing the habits, skills, and values of scholarship to their work as teachers.” AAC&U/ Carnegie Foundation – “Integrative Learning”
“Learners need both guidance and feedback, from mentors and peers, as they probe the facets of a complex issue and test their own insights against both theory and the experiences of others. And to prepare for the world’s diversity, all students need frequent opportunities to engage in collaborative interaction with people whose assumptions and life experiences are different from their own.” AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
VII. Assessment
“By and large, colleges are unable to say with any certainty whether students have learned what the professors are teaching….The absence of explicit descriptions of outcomes desired hampers assessment….Without knowing how well students have learned, the faculty finds it difficult to improve education in any purposeful way.” -Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“When taken seriously, assessment shapes curricula and instructional practice....It becomes predominantly a tool for improvement: to improve learning, teaching, and the curriculum.... Assessment for improvement can have the added benefit of showing external stakeholders the academy’s success in doing its job: educating students.” -Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“Higher education institutions should measure student learning using quality-assessment data form instruments such as, for example, …the Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress, which is designed to assess general education outcomes for undergraduates in order to improve the quality of instruction and learning.” -Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
“Diagnostic assessments in the first year of college, and milestone assessments upon completion of ….the second year of college, can help students evaluate their own achievement to date and identify areas of needed improvement.” -AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“The right standard for both assessment and accountability at the college level is students’ demonstrated ability to apply their learning to complex, unscripted problems in the context of their advanced studies.” AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“The best possible way to foster … change is to design “milestone” and culminating assessments within the expected curriculum that help students and faculty focus together on the intended level of accomplishment and on what students need to do to improve.” -AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“Curriculum-embedded assessment, when carefully done, is itself a potential “high-yield” educational reform because, by design, it focuses both faculty and student attention on students’ cumulative progress and actual level of attainment.” -AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
VII. Assessment A. Student learning (insert Student Learning Outcomes and Benchmarks chart)
B. Faculty development
C. Assessment of the QEP
D. Feedback on strategies
E. Vertical alignment?
Continuous attention to attainment of learning outcomes – campus culture of achievement
Students learning outcomes
1. CIRP- preassessment
2. PP/MAPP for freshmen
3. PP/MAPP for seniors
4. Writing Portfolio
5. CI course
6. Personal reflection
Faculty: learning outcomes
1. For the training course- basics/skills of teaching CI/CT
2. For the CI course- greater confidence in teaching CI/CT
3. Over the long term- greater integration of CI/CT into other courses.
Assessment Measures What are the assessment components?
What strategies do they assess?
When will they be administered?
Links to responsible offices or people
Include verbal descriptions of the tests
Include how they will be used for feedback on strategies and QEP
Consider including examples of rubrics and tests
What assessments were used to support the QEP, will they be used again?
Longitudinal data?
Fall 2011
Results of SETs from CI Classes
Results of Survey of CI Faculty
Comparison between students’ grades in CI and Fall Semester GPA
Fall to Spring Freshman retention rates
NSSE
CIRP
ETS Proficiency Profile (MAPP) critical thinking questions measure students’ ability to:
*distinguish between rhetoric and argumentation for information presented
*recognize assumptions
*recognize the best hypothesis to account for information presented
*infer and interpret a relationship between variables
*draw valid conclusions based in information presented
Level 2 proficiency (from a section of text) *synthesize material from different sections
*recognize valid inferences
*indentify accurate summaries
*understand and interpret figurative language
*discern the main idea, purpose, or focus
Level 3 proficiency (from a section of text) *evaluate competing causal explanations
*evaluate hypotheses for consistency with known facts
*determine the relevance of information for evaluating an argument or conclusion
*evaluate the appropriateness of procedures for investigating a question of causation
*evaluate data for consistency with known facts, hypotheses or methods
*determine whether an artistic interpretation is supported by evidence contained in a work
*recognize the salient features or themes in a work of art
VIII. Implementation
Course Audience
All entering freshmen will participate concurrently in the First-Year Reading Experience (FYRE) and the Critical Inquiry (CI) course during the fall semester (beginning fall 2011). Appendix A presents a timeline for the CI course implementation. Class sections will be limited to 20 students with an instructor and a peer advisor. It is estimated that 30-32 sections of the CI course will be required to accommodate the incoming freshman class. Approximately 15-16 faculty members will be trained each year as CI instructors and each will manage two sections. A limited number of sections will be offered in the spring semester to accommodate new students and those who fail the course in the fall semester. As a general education requirement, students will be required to earn a passing grade in the course. Additional considerations will be given to students in programs for which the additional course could create an academic “overload” such as incoming nursing program students each fall.[1]
In order to accommodate student and faculty schedules, learning and teaching styles and the desire to build a learning community, several choices for the CI course schedule will be offered. The half semester schedules will be offered both in the first and second half of the fall semester.
Option #1
One time a week for 75 minutes for half a semester
Option #2
Two times a week for 50 minutes for half a semester
Option #3
One time a week for 50 minutes for a full semester
Other schedule formats may be offered at the request of the instructor, with the goal of encouraging experimentation with more nontraditional styles of course delivery (e.g., hybrid in-person and online course). B.Course Instructors
A number of studies have found that formal and informal faculty-student interactions can positively affect retention and academic performance during the first college year (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1977 and 1978; Pascarella, 1980; Donahue, 2004; Braxton, Bray, and Berger, 2000; Terenzini, Springer, Pascarella, and Nora, 1995; Reason, Terenzini, and Domingo, 2006). Although many USC Aiken faculty teach the “gateway courses” (e.g., English, math, etc.) that students take during the first college year, getting the USC Aiken faculty involved in the delivery of the CI course will provide additional opportunities for these interactions to occur during the early college experience.
In addition to faculty-student interactions, peer interactions and opportunities to develop relationships with peers early in the college experience can help first-year students adjust to college (Astin, 1996; Bean, 1985; Grant-Valone & Ensher, 2000; Tinto, 1975 and 1988)[2]. Acknowledging this potentially important aspect of the college transition, a Peer Mentoring program will be developed, and Peer Mentors will serve as teaching assistants in the CI courses. Faculty members will have an opportunity to recruit and choose a Peer Mentor(s) to work with their section(s) of the CI course[3].
For this program to have a long-term effect on faculty and course delivery, it will be important for all academic units to participate and, eventually, for all faculty on campus to experience CI training and active participation in the course. Pursuant to our goal of building campus-wide faculty development along with the course, each academic unit will be encouraged to nominate at least one faculty member to teach this course each fall semester with a regular rotation of faculty. Smaller units may be restricted in their level of participation, but will be requested to participate at least every other fall semester. A CI steering committee will be developed to help maximize academic diversity among the CI faculty. Several instructors who will teach the inaugural sections of the CI course in fall 2011 will be identified from the QEP committee and General Education ad-hoc committee.
C.Course Materials
All sections of the CI course will use the selected first-year reading and another course-wide resource on critical thinking/inquiry selected by the group of faculty teaching the course. The second resource should provide a common starting point for discussions/activities related to CI to provide consistency across all sections without restricting or dictating individual class activities or discussions. For example, if the course were offered in fall 2010, all sections would use Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Kingsolver, Kingsolver and Hopp and The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools by Richard Paul and Linda Elder. In this way, instructors would have a common understanding and reference for advancing critical inquiry and a common theme for engaging the students in broader discussions. Because each instructor will have particular academic backgrounds and interests, he/she will not be restricted in their topical approach yet students in different sections will be guided uniformly in the advancement toward higher level thinking skills.
Course Pedagogy
To reach the goals of engaging students and increasing student-faculty interactions, both in and out of the classroom, the CI course will be taught using strategies and techniques that promote active learning. Section II.C. of this report describes the relationship of this approach to course instruction and the university’s mission and vision. Additionally, student focus groups data, collected in spring 2010 by members of the QEP committee revealed that students found classes that involved discussion, hands on learning or problem solving to be most memorable (Add citation).
Further, several studies demonstrate the positive impact this type of course instruction can have on first-year students, but there are also studies that indicate faculty efficacy can benefit from this as well. In some instances, faculty members have been able to transfer active and engaging teaching strategies from a first-year seminar, like the CI course, to other courses they teach (Fidler, Neururer-Rothilz, & Richardson, 1999; McClure, Atkinson, and Wills, 2008). This “spill over,” or being able to apply various teaching strategies to other courses the faculty may teach in their own major, is one of the desired outcomes of the implementation of USC Aiken’s QEP (CI course).
Teaching the CI course may also allow faculty to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with students earlier in the early college experience. Although many faculty members at USC Aiken teach first-year students, and/or serve as First Year Advisors, the demands of teaching and advising do not always allow faculty the opportunity to spend time mentoring students. Ideally, as a result of the CI course, many faculty and students would feel encouraged to seek opportunities to collaborate on research (e.g., mentoring a Magellan Scholar) or community projects. This relationship could benefit both the student and the faculty member, as both have an opportunity to collaborate to create knowledge and share information (Baker and Griffin, 2010).
Course Curriculum
The CI course will begin with the first-year book discussions at Freshman Convocation. The curriculum for the remainder of the course will be organized around three areas: knowledge, skills, and values. Specifically, the following three learning outcomes have been created to measure learning in these areas:
· Students will demonstrate knowledge of the Critical Inquiry process, and themes and ideas presented in the first-year reading. · Students will demonstrate Critical Inquiry skills through active engagement in the process of Critical Inquiry. · Students will demonstrate changes in values and behaviors related to their involvement in Critical Inquiry.
Appendix B includes sample activities and assignments that may be used in the CI course[4].
G. Evaluation of Student Learning The interdisciplinary qualities of the CI course and the engaging assignments and activities that will used in course instruction suggest the need to identify a variety of methods to evaluate learning in the course. The previous section presents the student learning outcomes that have been identified for the CI course; these outcomes will be measured through the development of a portfolio.
CI Portfolio The use of portfolios has been chosen as a means to evaluate student learning in the CI course because this form of assessment places the emphasis on learning, rather than performance (Bain, 2004). Although there are clear performance outcomes for this QEP, student gains in the CI course are rooted in learning. By creating a portfolio, students will have an opportunity to reflect on and assess their learning, related to Critical Inquiry, in the areas of knowledge, skills, and values. Providing an opportunity for personal reflection of learning can help students toward deeper, more critical and meaningful learning which can later be applied to other classes and/or campus involvement (Davis, 2009; Foote, 2009).
Students will develop the portfolio using the guidelines in the box on the following page. A rubric (Appendix C) has been created to provide CI Instructors with a framework to assess the course portfolios. This rubric will be reviewed annually and modified, as needed, by the faculty teaching the CI course. The rubric will also be used to conduct course assessment; the CI steering committee will recruit portfolio graders to collect and evaluate CI portfolios annually.
Critical Inquiry Portfolio | Instructions Learning Outcomes: · Knowledge – Students will demonstrate knowledge of the Critical Inquiry Process, and themes and ideas presented in the first-year reading. · Skills – Students will demonstrate Critical Inquiry skills through active engagement in the process of Critical Inquiry. · Values – Students will demonstrate changes in values and behaviors related to their involvement in Critical Inquiry.
Your portfolio should include a final statement synthesizing and reflecting on what was learned throughout the Critical Inquiry course. Create a short document articulating a considered response to project activities that are included in your portfolio. Evidence may include electronic copies of papers you have written, research you have conducted, photographs, video, or other artifacts that represent your accomplishments and growth as a student and that are directly related to Critical Inquiry and the Learning Outcomes above. Any items may be used as long as you show a clear relationship to Critical Inquiry.
Reflection After working hard on something, you learn more if you stop and think about what you did. It is a way to consolidate your gains. Reflection helps you integrate your recent activities with your less recent experiences. It also helps you integrate your experiential learning with course content gleaned from readings, lectures and other sources. Writing down a reflection provides you with a record of what you learned--you can go back and review it years later when you need inspiration.
Your reflection paper will include a detailed analysis of the evidence with respect to the following. Address those questions that are most relevant to your experience in the Critical Inquiry course:
What is the evidence?
How does it demonstrate achievement of knowledge, skills, or values related to Critical Inquiry (see the Critical Inquiry Portfolio rubric)?
How have you demonstrated your ability to define Critical Inquiry and the steps involved in the Critical Inquiry process?
Where have you described the main ideas and themes presented in the first-year reading?
How have you demonstrated insight in identifying a problem or issue related to themes in the reading?
Information has been gathered from reliable sources and is relevant to the selected problem or issue?
What incisive questions have been developed based on gathered information.
How have you developed a thorough plan to address the issue or problem.
How has the CI course helped you develop critical thinking and inquiry skills?
· In what ways can you apply critical thinking and inquiry skills to other courses and/or co-curricular activities? · How have you increased your awareness of diverse perspectives? · What are some constructive practical alternatives to this artifact? · Difficulties you encountered and the conclusions you have reached as a result · Successes you achieved and the new insights you have gained from achieving them · Things you would do differently next time and why · Interesting ways your experience relates to previous course work --especially unexpected or conflicting results · Strong emotions you experienced and why · What are your goals for growing academically and what is your plan to achieve those goals? Things you should NOT do in your reflection include:
Spending most of the time simply summarizing what you did
Stating mere reactions such as "I enjoyed this," "This was interesting," "This was frustrating," and "I would use this process again," without explaining the reason for certain reactions
Complaining about external conditions that kept you from doing your best. Do not use the reflection to make excuses for your performance and focus more on the choices you have made.
Appendix A Critical Inquiry Course Implementation Timeline
Program Objectives
Projected Completion Date
Selection of the first-year reading
2009-2010 Academic Year
Announcement of first-year reading
Last Faculty Assembly Meeting
(April 2010)
Faculty interest session for the CI course - Session open to any faculty member who might be interested in teaching the CI course. - Session would include general information about the course, faculty development and expectations, and an opportunity to ask and answer questions.
Late April or early May 2010
Faculty selection - Members of Academic Council and the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
Late spring/summer 2010
Establish an advisory board - Board formed by the Academic Success Center, in consultation with the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and consists mostly of faculty. - The board given the charge of guiding course implementation and faculty development and training.
Late spring/summer 2010
Faculty workshop - This workshop is for faculty teaching the CI course in the fall, and provides faculty with an opportunity to: identify any additional course texts or materials, develop and/or norm course rubrics, and discuss and organize class projects.
Fall 2010/Spring 2011
Sections of CI course scheduled
Spring 2011
Recruitment and selection of Peer Leaders
Spring 2011
Faculty development session - This workshop should address the active and engaging pedagogy associated with the CI course.
Summer 2011
Establish first-year reading blog for CI courses
Summer 2011
Faculty development (learning community) - Ongoing workshops, development opportunities, and an open forum to discuss and reflect on experiences teaching the course.
Fall 2011
Recruitment of CI faculty for spring and fall
Fall 2011
Appendix B Sample Assignments and Activities for the Critical Inquiry Course
Writing Assignments Journal—Students write a journal entry for each week of the course. Journals work best when students are given some guidelines about what to write. Entries could make connections to the students’ own experiences, ask critical questions about the reading, or simply summarize each chapter.
Sentence Completion—An in-class writing exercise in which students are given a leading statement and asked to complete the thought. (E.g. “When I think about growing my own food, I….”).
Paper—Students take the class reading and tailor it to their own interests.
Outline—Students write a chapter-by-chapter outline of the book.
Webpage or wiki—students make their own page about the book.
Team Writing – Students participate in structured or progressive writing assignment where multiple individuals contribute to the language.
Short Writing / Response – Prior to a discussion, students write reflectively about the intended topic to organize and develop their thoughts and opinions.
Group Projects Video—Students make a documentary video about issues raised by the readings.
Audio—Students make a radio feature and submit it to a public station or broadcast it on the web.
“Hands On” Projects—Students plant a garden, work with a community group, or build a model.
Brochure—Students make and distribute a brochure educating the public about an issue raised by the reading. For more “literary” books, the brochure could take the form of a short summary or advertisement for reading the book.
Teach-In / Tabling—Students organize a display board or a lecture educating the campus about the reading.
Field Trip—Students visit a location pertinent to the reading. Experience should be discussed and documented in some way.
ICE Activity – Students attend and respond (summary statements, reflective, criticism?) to an ICE event related to the ideas and issues related to the FYRE.
Information Gathering Survey—Students survey faculty, students, or random strangers about the issues raised by the book. This can become a springboard for launching a discussion of sampling and bias in surveys.
Annotated Bibliography—Students compile a list of reputable sources pertinent to the topic. They must properly format each entry and at least skim each source in order to write a summary.
Library Resources—faculty or library staff gather several books related to the topic. The class divides into small groups, and each group is given a book or several books to preview. They report back to the large group about what they have found.
Current Events—Working alone or in groups, students find news stories related to the book and present them to the class.
Community Organizations—Students find organizations in the area working on issues related to the reading. They glean information from these organizations and report back to the class.
Individual Responses Artistic Reflection / Response – Students express personal and/or group responses to and explorations of issues relate to the FYRE through the fine arts. Possibilities include literary, visual performance-based artistic responses.
Co-Curricular Activity – Either individually or in groups, students report on or engage in co-curricular activity related to the FYRE topic.
Presentations – Students prepare and present a report on an issues, question or topic raised by the FYRE.
Other Student Portfolio Self-Selection – Students in each section select the specific content of their portfolio after being presented with a list of potential activities.
Appendix C Critical Inquiry Portfolio | Rubric
Learning Outcomes:
1. Knowledge – Students will demonstrate . 2. Skills – Students will 3. Values – Students will
Category
Excellent (3)
Satisfactory (2)
Needs Improvement (1)
Incomplete or not achieved (0)
Knowledge
Clearly defines Critical Inquiry and the steps involved in the Critical Inquiry process.
Thoroughly describes the main ideas and themes presented in the first-year reading.
Demonstrates insight in identifying a problem or issue related to themes in the reading.
Presents knowledge of the Critical Inquiry Process and the themes and ideas presented in the first-year reading but lacking in thoroughness and incite.
,
Information is not present, or fails to address any of the elements in the “Excellent” category
Skills
Information has been gathered from reliable sources and is relevant to the selected problem or issue.
Incisive questions have been developed based on gathered information.
A thorough plan has been developed to address the issue or problem.
Demonstrate Critical Inquiry skills through active engagement in the process of Critical Inquiry but with limited understanding and insight.
Fulfills only one element in the “Excellent” category, or otherwise demonstrates limited understanding.
Information is not present, or fails to address any of the elements in the “Excellent” category
Values
The student reflection indicates:
- how participation in the CI course has helped the student develop critical thinking and inquiry skills;
- how the student can apply critical thinking and inquiry skills to other courses and/or co-curricular activities;
- how the student has increased his awareness of diverse perspectives.
Demonstrates changes in values and behaviors related to involvement in Critical Inquiry but with limited explanation of each of the elements in the “Excellent” category.
Fulfills only one element in the “Excellent” category, or otherwise demonstrates limited understanding.
Information is not present, or fails to address any of the elements in the “Excellent” category
Comments
----
[1] From the document “AssemblyAgenda042809,” “Students in degree programs which require more than 16 credit hours in the first semester of enrollment may complete Critical Inquiry during their second academic semester.” [2] Additional rationale for the Peer Mentoring program is provided in the “Co-Curricular Engagement” portion of this report. [3] See the “Faculty Development” section of this report for additional information about Peer Mentor selection. [4] CI faculty will be encouraged to engage with students in the various course activities, including any course-based out of class projects.
IX. Timeline for implementation Five year plan for each strategy. Include assessment points.
X. Organizational Structure of USCA Administrative organization
Include staff-faculty-administration links
Include demographics and makeup of student body
Include both charts and text description
XI. Resources and support for the QEP Five year budget
XII. Literature
Note: Include Benjamin Bloom, David Bartholomae, Howard Gardner, David Conley
“…students need to know facts, but even more importantly how to interpret and what to do with those facts. Information is transformed into internal knowledge as students apply their understandings to new situations, new problems, and new environments, thereby using their previous learning in challenging ways.” Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“The key to educational excellence, therefore lies not in the memorization of vast amounts of information, but rather in fostering habits of mind that enable students to continue their learning, engage new questions, and reach informed judgments.” AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“Less than one-half of students who enter college directly from high school complete even a minimally defined college preparatory program…..Once in college, 53 percent of all students must take remedial courses. Those students requiring the most remedial work are the least likely to persist and graduate.” AAC&U 2002 (Greater expectations)
“Children from low-income families are particularly vulnerable to a system that does not send clear signals to students on how ready they are for college. They are the most dependent on the schools to prepare them properly for college success because they are often the first in their families to attend college.” Conley 2007 – “Redefining College Readiness”
“Although the vast majority of high school seniors (more than 90 percent) say they intend to go to go on to postsecondary education, many do not engage in the kinds of educational activities that will prepare them to do well in college (McCarthy and Kuh 2006). For example, almost half study only three or fewer hours per week, well below the thirteen- to fourteen-hour-per-week average of first-year (college) students…” George Kuh 2007, peerReview
“Access and achievement gaps disproportionately affect low-income and minority students. Historically these are the very students who have faced the greatest academic and financial challenges in getting access to or completing college.” Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
“HSSSE findings suggest that many high school seniors are not prepared academically for college-level work and have not developed the habits of mind and heart that will stand them in good stead to successfully grapple with more challenging intellectual tasks. The senior year in particular seems to be a wasteland: the overall engagement of high school seniors is much lower than of any previous year.” George Kuh 2007, peerReview
“First-year students typically study less, write less, and read less than they thought they would. Both students and institutions must share the responsibility for redressing this deplorable state of affairs. Our studies show that when institutions emphasize certain activities, students are more likely to engage in them.” George Kuh 2007, peerReview
“First-year students typically study less, write less, and read less than they thought they would. Both students and institutions must share the responsibility for redressing this deplorable state of affairs. Our studies show that when institutions emphasize certain activities, students are more likely to engage in them.” George Kuh 2007, peerReview
“Employers report repeatedly that many new graduates they hire are not prepared to work, lacking the critical thinking, writing and problem-solving skills needed in today’s workplaces.” Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
“Most of the progress in critical thinking – the skill so rightly prized by faculty – seems to take place during the first two years of college, before many students even start their concentration.” Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
“Most studies show that improvement in critical thinking varies directly with the time students spent studying, the extent to which they participate actively in class, and the amount of discussion they have on intellectual matters outside of class, both with faculty and with classmates, especially those with views and backgrounds different from their own.” Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
“The effects of participating in high-impact practices are positive for all types of students. But, historically underserved students tend to benefit more from engaging in educational purposeful activities than majority students. Sadly, some groups of historically underserved students are less likely to participate in high-impact activities – those first in their family to attend college and African American students in particular.” George Kuh- “High Impact Educational Practices”
“while engagement and persistence are positively correlated for all students, engagement has a compensatory effect for African American students relative to white students in that as African American students become more engaged, they also become more likely to surpass white students in the likelihood they will persist.” George Kuh- “High Impact Educational Practices”
“A good education should provide multiple opportunities for students to engage in “inquiry-based learning,” both independently and in collaborative teams. Through inquiry projects, students should learn how to find and evaluate evidence, how to consider and assess competing interpretations, how to form and test their own analyses and interpretations, how to solve problems, and how to communicate persuasively.” AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“The ability to apply quantitative methods to real-world problems requires a facility and an insight and intuition that can be developed only through repeated practice.” -Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
“But in many schools, students write very little and receive no preparation in critical inquiry and research skills. When this foundation is lacking, colleges must play catch-up when it should be their primary task to move students’ skills in analysis and application to a much higher level. New emphasis on the skills essential to inquiry and innovation is needed…in the careful design of first-year and second-year experiences geared to student’s differing levels of preparation and skill…educators need to ensure that every student experiences the excitement and intellectual growth that follows from working to solve real problems.” -AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“When students have a clear knowledge of the expected outcomes of their education and receive prompt and ongoing feedback on their progress, they are able to take responsibility for their own learning. Under these conditions, not only to they acquire the capacity for self-assessment, but, as they move toward their senior years, students’ own judgments of their work can be expected to match more closely those of the faculty.” -Taking Responsibility
“A human-scale first-year seminar makes anonymity impossible, fosters face-to-face interaction, and fuels feedback. Students who do research with a faculty member spend a fair amount of time with that faculty member; as a result, students learn firsthand how a faculty member thinks and deals with inevitable challenges that crop up in the course of an investigation. Students who do research with faculty also are more likely to persist, gain more intellectually and personally, and choose a research-related field as a career.”
-George Kuh- “High Impact Educational Practices”
“The college instructor is more likely to emphasize a series of key thinking skills that students, for the most part, do not develop extensively in high school. They expect students to make inferences, interpret results, analyze conflicting explanations of phenomena, support arguments with evidence, solve complex problems that have no obvious answer, reach conclusions, offer explanations, conduct research, engage in the give-and-take of ideas, and generally think deeply about what they are being taught.”
-NRC 2002 (Redefining College Readiness)
“When students struggle in entry-level courses, it extends their time to degree completion, a hidden cost of inadequate or inappropriate preparation. Failure rates in some of these courses approaches 50 percent, and while some argue this is the result of poor college teaching, others argue that this failure rate can be explained equally by poor study habits, a lack of understanding of the expectations of college instructors, and deficiencies in content knowledge and thinking skills.”
-Conley 2007 – “Redefining College Readiness”
“The concept of integrative learning inspires, in part, because of its intellectual appeal. The capacity to connect is central to scholarship broadly conceived – whether focused on discovery and creativity, integrating and interpreting knowledge from different disciplines, applying knowledge through real-world engagements, or teaching students and communicating with the public. (Boyer 1990)”
-AAC&U/ Carnegie Foundation – Integrative Learning
Key cognitive strategies “are at the heart of the intellectual endeavor of the university. They are necessary to discern truth and meaning as well as to pursue them. They are at the heart of how postsecondary faculty think, and how they think about their subject areas. Without the capability to think in these ways, the entering college student either struggles mightily until these habits begin to develop or misses out on the largest portion of what college has to offer, which is how to think about the world.”
-Conley 2007 – “Redefining College Readiness”
“Both service learning and experiences with diversity are powerful catalysts for deeper engagement and insight”
-AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“Less than half of college seniors report that their college experience significantly influenced their capacity to contribute to their communities; only half report significant gains in learning about people from different backgrounds.” -AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
Few faculty members teach to collectively owned goals….There is little internal coherence in curricula or programs, and even less a plan for connected learning.” -Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“While educators and policymakers have commendably focused on getting more students into college, too little attention has been paid to helping them graduate. The result is that unacceptable numbers of students fail to complete their studies at all, while even those that graduate don’t always learn enough.”
-Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
Critical Inquiry: Getting to Aha!
“…many entering freshmen arrive at college in a condition of “ignorant certainty,” believing that most or all problems have definite answers, that ignorance may keep them from knowing the answer, but that the truth can be found by consulting the right expert……Only a small minority of seniors emerge convinced that ill-structured problems are susceptible to reasoned arguments based on evidence and that some answers are sounder than others.”
-Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
I. Introduction: Getting to Aha! at USC Aiken
Executive summary
II. A. USCA’s identity
Our QEP topic, Critical Inquiry: Getting to Aha! , was chosen because of a perceived disconnect between the USCA Mission Statement, University Values Statement, our Strategic Plan and the student outcomes we were observing through MAPP testing and NSSE survey results. Specifically, we as an institution of higher learning, place great value on critical thinking (Paul and Elder) and higher-order thinking (Bloom’s Taxonomy) , but were failing to achieve the levels of success we deemed appropriate.
Our survey of the literature (AAC&U, LEAP, Bok, “Integrative Learning”) revealed the importance of developing intellectual skills early in the collegiate experience. Therefore, in conjunction with our First Pace program for preparing entering freshmen and our First Year Reading Experience (FYRE), we are preparing a Critical Inquiry course for first-semester freshmen that will focus on developing stronger critical thinking and collaborative learning skills by providing students with structured, but student-driven, opportunities for creative problem-solving in a group-based context.
Our overall objective is to produce undergraduates who have the confidence and skills to identify complex problems and develop strategies for solving those problems in academic and everyday life. Studies have shown that the freshman year, and especially the first semester, is a critical time for undergraduates (Upcraft, Gardner, & Barefoot, 2005), but also that there must be a continuous development of learning skills (Ash 2009, refs) and it must be combined with a challenging academic atmosphere and a friendly environment of collegial interactions (refs)
Notwithstanding the importance of educating undergraduates, at USCA we acknowledge the vital importance of educating the faculty and staff in best-practices in education (Ash 2009, refs). As we move forward improving the undergraduate experience, a concomitant effort is required to realign pedagogical practices through faculty development and training (ref)
At USCA, we pride ourselves on the quality of our curriculum, the successes of our graduates, and our top ranking among peer institutions (annual ratings). However, we readily accept there will always be room for improvement (AAC&U 1994, p26). We also believe that, regardless of the academic preparation of our incoming freshmen, all students have the right to be as successful as possible and it is our responsibility to assist them. To that end, we strive to improve our curriculum whenever possible and we believe this QEP will greatly enhance the long-term quality of the educational experience offered at USCA.
II. B. USC Aiken's Mission Statement
Founded in 1961, the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) is a comprehensive liberal arts institution committed to active learning through excellence in teaching, faculty and student scholarship, research, creative activities, and service. In this stimulating academic community, USCA challenges students to acquire and develop the skills, knowledge, and values necessary for success in a dynamic global environment.
The University offers degrees in the arts and sciences and in the professional disciplines of business, education, and nursing. All courses of study are grounded in a liberal arts and sciences core curriculum. USCA also encourages interdisciplinary studies and collaborative endeavors.
Emphasizing small classes and individual attention, USCA provides students with opportunities to maximize individual achievement in both academic and co-curricular settings. The institution challenges students to think critically and creatively, to communicate effectively, to learn independently, and to acquire depth of knowledge in chosen fields . The University values honesty, integrity, initiative, hard work, accomplishments, responsible citizenship, respect for diversity, and cross-cultural understanding.
USC Aiken attracts students of varying ages and diverse cultural backgrounds who have demonstrated the potential to succeed in a challenging academic environment. In addition to serving the Savannah River area, USCA actively seeks student enrollment from all parts of South Carolina as well as from other states and countries.
As a senior public institution of the University of South Carolina, USCA combines the advantages of a smaller institution with the resources of a major university system. Located in beautiful, historic Aiken, South Carolina, USCA is an institution of moderate size (2,500-5,000 students) that offers baccalaureate degrees in a number of disciplines, completion baccalaureate degrees at University of South Carolina regional campuses, and master’s degrees in selected programs.
USCA endeavors to apply knowledge, skills, and wisdom in ways that promote the common good. Accordingly, the University seeks to build strong community ties. The institution enriches the quality of life not only on campus but also throughout the surrounding region through a variety of activities including the fine and performing arts, athletics, continuing education, distance learning, and community service. In fulfilling its role as an institution of higher learning, the University of South Carolina Aiken is a community of individuals engaged in broadly based educational experiences necessary for an enlightened society.
II. C. How our QEP relates to our mission and goals at USCA
“Becoming such an intentional learner means developing self-awareness about the reason for study, the learning process itself, and how education is used. Intentional learners are integrative thinkers who can see connections in seemingly disparate information and draw on a wide range of knowledge to make decisions. They adapt the skills learned in one situation to problems encountered in another: in a classroom, the workplace, their communities, or their personal lives.”
-Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“…it is the task of general education to prepare students to…develop lifelong competencies such as critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative reasoning, and problem solving.”
-Strong Foundations (AAC&U 1994)
“Integrative learning also has emotional appeal. Indeed, emotion can be a catalyst for integrative learning. When students become passionate about their learning, when a topic ignites enthusiasm, integration is more likely to happen.”
-AAC&U/ Carnegie Foundation – “Integrative Learning”
At USC Aiken, our vision of education, of learning and of student engagement, flows from our institutional Mission Statement, our Statement of University Values, and our Strategic Plan. Our mission (see II.B. above) at USCA is to challenge our students “to think critically and creatively, to communicate effectively, to learn independently” in both “academic and co-curricular settings”. In the USC Aiken Statement of University Values (see *), we reiterate by stating that “we encourage the critical thinking, independent learning, and “curiosity and a love of continual learning”. The revision of the Strategic Plan for 2008-2009 (see *) identified as a priority the creation of experiential learning opportunities, and stressed the need for increased interactions between students and faculty and increasing student engagement as two ways to enhance student success and persistence.
In addition, maintaining and enhancing high quality teaching is also a major emphasis at USCA. In our Campus Vision Statement (see *), we “emphasize excellence in teaching and collaborative learning experiences”. In our Statement of University Values, we “expect and value high quality teaching and individualized attention” to students as we “aim to maximize each student’s potential”. We clarify in our Strategic Plan the need for increased “faculty release time to allow them to engage more with students”.
These aspects of our university vision are linked directly to current trends and research in postsecondary education (described in detail in Section IV) and our own assessments at USCA (Section III). We clearly recognize the need for a more specific and concerted effort to help our students become more integrative learners.
Critical Inquiry: Getting to Aha! will directly address all of the goals and objectives mentioned above. Our QEP will establish a program for first-semester freshmen that will introduce them to the power of independent and collective thinking, to the processes by which new ideas are developed and pursued, and will enable them to be better at “learning how to learn”.
III. Choosing the QEP topic for USCA
“Common intellectual content should be a nonnegotiable organizing principle for these early college experiences; when students have read and discussed some of the same material in one or more classes, they are more likely to talk with their peers about these ideas outside of class, which infuses a measure of intellectual vitality into the campus culture.”
-George Kuh- “High Impact Educational Practices”
“experiences that connect course content with more applied contexts also represent steps toward intentional, integrative learning.”
-AAC&U/ Carnegie Foundation – “Integrative Learning”
“Access and achievement gaps disproportionately affect low-income and minority students. Historically these are the very students who have faced the greatest academic and financial challenges in getting access to or completing college.”
-Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
In Fall 2008, Chancellor Tom Hallman began a series of Grapevine meetings on campus to address any issues of concern by faculty and staff, but he gave specific time at each meeting to discussions of and suggestions for the QEP topic. Requests for QEP topics were also solicited via campus email, department meetings, and standing university committees. A condensed list of QEP topics were presented to the faculty in early spring 2009 and voted on by the entire Faculty Assembly.
At the same time, in Spring 2009, the USCA faculty approved a new requirement, recommended by the General Education Review Committee, that would require all incoming freshmen, excluding transfer students, to complete a one credit hour seminar, Critical Inquiry course, during their first semester of enrollment at USC Aiken with an implementation date of Fall 2010. Students in degree programs which require more than 16 credit hours in the first semester of enrollment could complete the Critical Inquiry requirement during their second academic semester. The details of the Critical Inquiry seminar were to be:
When Critical Inquiry was selected as the QEP topic for USC Aiken, the decision was made to incorporate the Critical Inquiry seminar into the QEP and change the implementation date to Fall 2011. This adjustment was announced by the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to the ad hoc General Education Review Committee (July 2009), the Courses and Curricula Committee (Minutes of 9-17-09 C&C Committee meeting) and the Faculty Assembly (Minutes of 9-30-09 Faculty Assembly meeting).
Developing the QEP
In July 2009, the Director of the QEP Committee was selected, a committee was chosen representing every academic unit on campus and with representatives from Student Affairs, Academic Advising, University Marketing, and…?
The QEP Committee began its deliberations in August 2009 by creating a working definition of Critical Inquiry:
Critical inquiry is the process of gathering and evaluating information, ideas, and assumptions from multiple perspectives to produce well-reasoned analysis and understanding, and leading to new ideas, applications and questions. (QEP Committee Minutes, 9-23-09)
Students were actively involved in the development of the QEP from January 2010. A number (how many?) of student focus groups were conducted not only to obtain feedback on students' perceptions of good teaching and critical thinking experiences, but also to provide input into the design of the look of the QEP (logos), the marketing strategy, dissemination of the QEP information, and to contribute to web design. A graphic design class (AART 145) produced 20 possible logo designs and students from a marketing class (AMKT 454) produced a marketing strategy that..... The student newspaper (Pacer Times).... The input of the students was instrumental in the QEP development plans such that.... (add as these activities are finished)
Why choose Critical Inquiry?
The development of critical thinking skills has been identified as one of the greatest needs in postsecondary education in our ever-expanding global economy and in the continually evolving workplace (See review in section IV). With high school education increasingly oriented around test-based assessment and restricted by budgetary considerations, students are less and less prepared for the kind of work and thinking that will be demanded of them in college. The dearth of hands-on, experience-based learning leaves high school students vulnerable when they begin their college matriculation and immediately encounter college-level expectations that may be based on learning modalities with which they have little experience.
At the same time, 90% of all high school seniors expect to enroll in college with rising numbers of first-generation attendees and under-represented social groups (Kuh 2007, McCarthy and Kuh 2006). In South Carolina, the dream of a college education is fostered by relatively easy to earn state scholarships. At USCA, we are committed to the success of all students and, with recently raised acceptance criteria, we believe all are capable of succeeding. However, nearly 60% of freshmen with state scholarships fail to maintain the GPA necessary to retain their financial support after their first year of study (*USCA data). A disproportionate number of those students are first-generation attendees and/or from under-represented social groups (*USCA data).
Our assessments clearly indicated some trouble areas. First, the NSSE results from 2004, 2006, and 2008 indicated that our students, ...?
Second, MAPP scores suggested that USCA freshmen are not prepared for the college curriculum and lag behind national averages (Fall 2009 results). Specifically, critical thinking scores were lower than any other assessment field and 95% of the students tested scored “not proficient” in critical thinking. Although only 2% scored “proficient” nationally, only 1% of USCA students did. In other subject areas, scores were similarly low for USCA students. Reading and math scores were well below national averages. Writing was equal to the national average, but only 14% of the USCA freshmen scored “proficient” at Level 2 (see Section VII for descriptions of the MAPP criteria).
USCA is annually rated as one of the top public undergraduate institutions in the south (USN&WR) and therefore these assessments of our freshmen are sobering. Although the faculty and staff at USCA believe that the post-graduation accomplishments of our students are the true indicators of our educational quality, we also believe that the educational process must be dynamic and modern. Employers have reiterated the growing need for students capable of thinking independently, or working collaboratively, and of being strong process-oriented problem-solvers (AAC&U, Spelling Report). Our MAPP results of freshman-to-senior improvement in critical thinking (need Spring 2010 results) can and should be improved if USCA graduates are to compete in the state, national, and world workforce. Indeed, our greatest concern is not for the high-achieving students (who will probably succeed regardless of early intervention), but the medium to low achieving students whose potential for career success will likely increase with a more focused freshman experience.
In light of national and institutional data, we believe the road to the greater development of higher-order thinking skills is to engage our students from the moment they join our campus community; to foster learning by creating structured groups of freshmen with a common purpose and a well-defined pathway to achievement.
Over the course of four years at USCA, we believe an inclusive, peer-mentored, learning environment will create in our students a genuine commitment to long-term personal growth and community involvement and that this will attitude will be reflected in tests of critical thinking skills for seniors and in career choices as they leave USCA.
Critical Inquiry and the USCA commitment to students
Meeting the educational goals of USCA is hampered both by the lack of preparedness in incoming freshmen for college pedagogy and learning and expectations (*Greater Expectations) and by our (mandated) inability to offer remedial courses. Failure (a.k.a. DFW) rates in freshmen courses are high and leave psychological scars on the students, the campus, and the community. The inability of freshmen to succeed in entry-level courses both lengthens their matriculation time and is a strong predictor of lower student retention (*).
At USCA, our commitment to student success leaves us little choice but to focus on methods to improve student success without lowering academic standards. In 2005, we transformed our first-year seminar (AFYS 101), by creating designated sections for several academic majors, and implementing common course content and learning outcomes across all sections of the course. In 2006, we implemented a pre-enrollment summer program for at-risk high school seniors, called First Pace, to prepare them for the academic rigors of college. In 2007, we began the First-Year Reading Experience (FYRE) to inculcate a pattern of reading and thoughtful discussion in freshmen, and coupled it with a Freshmen Convocation. In 2009, we began an Inter-Curricular Enhancement (ICE) program to encourage students to explore and experience academic enrichment on campus and to broaden academic horizons.
The Critical Inquiry: Getting to Aha! program is an important next step in our efforts to invigorate the liberal arts tradition at USCA and make the educational journal richer and more worthwhile.
Critical Inquiry and the USCA commitment to faculty development
In close conjunction with our efforts to enhance the student experience, we embrace the opportunity to allow faculty to grow and enrich their own experiences as educators. We recognize the need for informing the faculty and staff, for developing new and exciting pedagogies, and for encouraging the use of best practices across all disciplines to foster critical thinking in students. The QEP is a major opportunity for faculty development at USCA: a faculty that values improving and evolving pedagogies is a faculty that embraces excellence.
University faculty rarely have a background in educational theory and practice and, once hired, rarely have the time and opportunity to learn new teaching techniques. A vital and integral part of this QEP will be providing opportunities for faculty training in the instruction of critical thinking pedagogy. Just as a first semester course for freshmen is expected to create a cascading effect as students move into upper-level coursework, the opportunity to use new instructional techniques in introductory courses will have a complementary effect on other courses taught by our faculty. In the long run, we truly anticipate that our faculty will gain from the Critical Inquiry course as much as our students will.
In this sense, we view progress toward lifelong learning as being an important and complementary outcome of a USCA education and we expect our faculty and students both to engage in this process.
IV. Literature review
Background
As students mature, their ability to think in new ways becomes more possible and more expected in postsecondary education (*, Bloom). However, capability and ability for higher order thinking are not necessarily linked developmentally: students must be trained and encouraged to think in new ways about abstract and complex ideas.
The ability to “think about thinking” is often termed “metacognition” and involves the ability to see the larger picture, to know what information is known and what must yet be obtained, to plan and predict, and to develop a better understanding of the context of learning (Glaser 1984, AAC&U “Integrative Learning”). This process of gaining cognitive self-awareness becomes possible as the human brain matures, but must be practiced in order to develop fully.
As student matriculate through elementary and secondary education, the focus is less on higher order thinking (and these abilities are not yet within reach of most students) and more on obtaining the necessary background of factual knowledge (AAC&U Greater Expectations). Ideally, as students get older, the focus of their education should shift toward more integrative and synthetic thinking, toward developing and strengthening cognitive skills beyond mere memorization, toward applying existing knowledge to new problems and new situations. This progress is considered a benchmark of educational excellence (AAC&U College Learning). However, numerous studies have clearly indicated a declining ability in college freshmen for integrative and critical thinking (*) which reflects, at some level, reflects a failure of the educational process to foster these thinking skills.
Indeed, over 50% of all college freshmen require some course remediation (AAC&U Greater Expect.) and these students are among the least likely to eventually graduate. Students from lower economic conditions (Conley 2007), or are first-generation attendees, or from under-represented social groups are often the least prepared and face higher likelihood of failure (Spelling Report, *). This poor preparation for the expectations of college can stem from having no college-educated family members, graduating from poorly financed high schools, or having to work to support themselves while in college (Spelling Report,*). For USCA, these are the very social demographics that make up a majority of the incoming freshmen class (see section xx).
Preparation for the rigors of college must begin in high school, but many, if not most, high school seniors do not possess the study habits and mental toughness that are helpful for the challenges of college (HSSSE, Kuh 2007). Further, these habits are unlikely to be developed during the senior year of high school: George Kuh (2007) described the senior year as a “wasteland” because seniors nationwide are increasingly disengaged from the educational process once they finalize their university plans.
While many in education and society bemoan the decreasing level of preparation for college work, cognitive development of students within the college curriculum is declining as well. In part, this can be attributed to the time necessary for bringing students ”up to speed” (AAC&U ‘College Learning’), but it also stems from an unwillingness of the faculty to assign difficult problems/projects that will, in all likelihood, be completed poorly or not be completed at all. Freshmen report that they study less, write less, and read less than they expected to (Kuh 2007, NSSE) and this is very likely a reflection of lowered faculty expectations. Thus, as with a positive feedback cycle, where poor results foster lowered expectations, the college curriculum is losing ground as well (Kuh 2007).
The result, and one that has been developing for many years, is a decreased readiness among college graduates for the workplace after graduation. Employers in the US are unhappy with the level of preparedness they find in new employees (Spelling Report, AAC&U). Employers face many uncertainties in the short and long-term and value strong critical thinking skills, writing ability, and problem-solving skills, and willingness to collaborate (AAC&U). These are identical to the learning outcomes expected of college students and desired by most faculty. This may be one of the most promising aspects of the current educational crisis: we have strong consensus on the desired student learning outcomes. Fortunately, we have a wealth of guidance on how to achieve these shared goals.
New directions
Critical thinking skills develop as students’ minds develop, and they increase in acuity with time and practice (Bok –OUS). Great progress, in fact, can take place in the first two years of college (Bok-OUS). By applying what are termed “high impact educational practices” (Kuh-HIEP) during this window of opportunity, great strides can be achieved in enhancing student learning which then correspond with higher achievement, and also retention and graduation rates.
Improvement in critical thinking is positively correlated with the time spent engaged, participating, and discussing ideas and information with other students and with faculty (Bok-OUS). This is especially true when students have divergent views and backgrounds - learning is actually facilitated. Traditionally under-served student groups benefit even more than others by engaging in purposeful learning activities. For example, Kuh (HIEP) found that African American students may surpass Caucasian American students in accomplishment and persistence. Despite these findings, most students enter college with very little preparation in critical thinking and research and colleges are faced with the task of introducing students to these new ways of thinking (AAC&U "College Learning") which only slows their progress toward college-level achievement (Conley 2007, Redefining..)
One notable high impact practice that fosters creative and critical thinking is a well-developed first-year seminar (Kuh-HIEP) in which students have the opportunity to engage in “inquiry-based learning” and work collaboratively with their peers (AAC&U ‘College Learning’). Students in such situations can learn to collect and evaluate information, compare competing interpretations, recognize and analyze assumptions, solve problems, and become more effective communicators (AAC&U ‘College Learning’). In both the short- and long-term, these activities lead to highly desirable cognitive development and are correlated with success in later coursework. In addition, intense and repeated practice thinking leads to grater acuity and success in dealing with real-world problems (Bok OUS) which is one of the ultimate goals of the undergraduate experience.
The first-year seminar forces students to learn independently and as an individual, not anonymously in a crowd. Direct interactions with faculty and involvement in real research encourages students to choose a research-related field as a career (Kuh- HIEP). In addition and very importantly, these interactions introduces students to and trains them in the kinds of thinking that college faculty expect and value. As the National Research Council (2002, Redefining..) reports, faculty expect students to "make inferences, interpret results, analyze conflicting explanations of phenomena, support arguments with evidence, solve complex problems that have no obvious answer, reach conclusions, offer explanations, conduct research, engage in the give-and-take of ideas, and generally think deeply about what they are being taught." These values are at the heart of any undergraduate curriculum. Indeed, when students feel a part of the educational process, understand the expectations, and are capable of meeting them, they are also able to take control of their learning (Taking Responsibility).
The lack of preparedness in college freshmen has been a central focus for numerous national studies and reviews. Detailed and specific recommendations for altering and improving general education have emerged and these have been instrumental in shaping the QEP discussion at USC Aiken. Specifically, the Principles of Excellence and Essential Learning Outcomes in the AAC&U's Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) Report emphasize teaching "the arts of inquiry and innovation" and intellectual and practical skills such as inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, and teamwork and problem-solving. These "best practices" should be accomplished through common intellectual experiences and collaborative problem-solving assignments that require inter-disciplinary understanding and discipline-appropriate methodologies (Kuh-HIEP, AAC&U 2004 Our Students best work).
A prepared faculty
The need for greater faculty development has been noted in many recent high-profile reports. However, while pedagogical techniques are often cited as being out of date and, perhaps, out of touch with the current generation, a greater underlying problem is more likely to be the difficulty in training faculty in new techniques or in providing feedback on current practices. With teaching, research, and service obligations an ever-present burden on available time, it is little wonder faculty have few opportunities to take advantage of teaching workshops.
For many years, it has been very common to hear college faculty complain about the quality and preparedness of freshmen (Sanoff 2006). The challenge of bringing new college students "up to speed" is daunting (*). College faculty need a better understanding of the techniques that provide greater accessibility of the course material and can bring about rapid improvement in student's cognitive skills. This can be achieved primarily through modification of pedagogical methodology (Redefining college readiness) and this must be part of a coordinated re-education of the faculty.
Traditionally, college courses place a great focus on course content because of the need for a knowledge foundation that prepares students for upper level courses. However, content delivery and assessment of learning outcomes are often not well integrated. And faculty are rarely well-versed in assessing student cognitive abilities. The most faculty who are most successful at developing critical thinking skills are able to identify misconceptions that create obstacles to learning, guide the students toward independent thinking, and use assessments that are closely linked to stated learning outcomes. (Bok- OUS). When students become independent and engaged learners, faculty not only have succeeded in the educational objectives, but reap the rewards of having qualified and capable students.
Increasing student achievement is inextricably linked to an actively learning and well-prepared faculty.
V. Student Learning Outcomes
“The best undergraduate education for the twenty-first century will be based on a liberal education that produces an individual who is intentional about learning and life, empowered, informed, and responsible.
Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
A liberal education is a practical education because it develops just those capabilities needed by every thinking adult: analytical skills, effective communication, practiced intelligence, ethical judgment, and social responsibility. By expecting students to collaborate productively with people who are unlike them, a liberal education strengthens interpersonal skills useful in the workplace and community life.”
Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“In brief, the outcomes we propose are
2. deep understanding of and hands-on experience with the inquiry practices of disciplines that explore the natural, social, and cultural realms – achieved and demonstrated through studies that build conceptual knowledge by engaging learners in concepts and modes of inquiry that are basic to the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts;
5. habits of mind that foster integrative thinking and the ability to transfer skills and knowledge from one setting to another – achieved and demonstrated through advanced research and/or creative projects in which students take the primary responsibility for framing questions, carrying our analysis, and producing work of substantial complexity and quality.”
AAC&U – “Our Students’ Best work”
“A huge part of the information gathering process takes place outside of the classroom. Successful students know how to make a research plan and carry it out. Also, student should have the following skills: 1. The ability to identify a source. 2. The ability to distinguish the degree of quality and reliability of information. 3. The ability to connect information from sources to support an argument. 4. The ability to be disciplined in doing research.
Conley 2003 – “Understanding University Success”
V. Student Learning Outcomes
A. The Critical Inquiry course
B. Long-term outcomes
C. Co-curricular engagement
Co-curricular activities are often considered as “practical” or “indirect” learning opportunities. Those experiences outside the classroom that prepare students in ways that traditional learning cannot. Traditional classroom learning is enhanced by co-curricular activities, which help students integrate their new knowledge. In an age where a global economy may require a higher level of knowledge and a grasp of multiple skills, the broad education that the co-curriculum can provide results in a more complete development of the student, and a better preparation for life after graduation. For the purpose of the Critical Inquiry (CI) class, co-curricular activities provide new opportunities to test concepts and theories learned.
Of the many different ideas discussed for activities to compliment the Critical Inquiry course, four areas were selected to focus on:
1. CI Blog
2. Community Service
3. World of Work
4. Peer Mentoring
CREATING A BLOG
Definition/Description
A “Weblog” or “blog” for Critical Inquiry class purposes is a community diary of impressions, expressions, and reflections written by members of the freshman class in a central website location. The blog may also contain photos, audio clips or video clips.
Rationale based on Research
According to Will Richardson, author of Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms “…blogs can strengthen reading and writing skills and teach students about the new literacy of the Internet age such as evaluating sources and synthesizing information.” (Imperatore 2009) Writing journals and reflective diaries have often been used in the humanities as educational tools, as Shih-Hsien Yang wrote in Educational Technology and Society:
“Journal writing is effective in developing students’ metacognitive and reflective skills.” (Morrison 1996) “Furthermore collaborative writing affords students the opportunity to share ideas and provide each other with feedback.” (Storch 2005) A blog seems to be helpful in encouraging and nurturing discussion that enhances students’ reflection. (Yang 2009)
One outstanding success story took place in a public school in Liberty, Missouri, with a virtual book club moderated by a history faculty member. About 300 student readers joined a blog about a historical novel that was set in their region. The book’s author joined the blog by invitation along with a variety of other participants such as a college professor from Louisiana and a language arts class from another school. Even the president of the school board in Liberty, Missouri, joined the blog. (Langhorst 2007)
Result
The results of students engaging in blogs is that it will increase their participation in the expression of views and opinions with regards to class content
Assessment
A simple direct assessment will take place by counting the number of students who participate in the blog along with how often students post to the blog. Additional assessment will be done by tracking the number of page views that the blog gets daily.
Closing
Based on the above description and rationale along with the supporting research, the use of a blog by the freshmen in the Critical Inquiry classes will stimulate reflective learning and engage students with one another and their professors.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Description
We believe that students who participate in volunteerism and community service will be able to think more critically after their volunteer and service experience than before. We believe this will be so because students who get involved in their communities will be more likely to see the connection between their in class and out of class experiences.
In order to encourage and facilitate more critical thinking on the part of the students at USCA, we will make service learning a vital component of the critical inquiry course. Participation in a variety of community service activities including but not limited to: Alternative Fall and/or Spring Break, First Day of Service, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Dance Marathon, Relay for Life, Sleep Out for the Homeless, and Hunger Banquet will be encouraged as part of this course. Students will be required to complete a set number of course objectives and activities. Community service will be one of the options a student can select to participate in in order to complete their CI portfolio.
Rationale and Research
There is quite a bit of research to support this idea that service learning can contribute to a student’s ability to think critically. According to Hamrick, Evans and Schuh “A range of student learning and developmental outcomes is attainable through well-designed and carefully implemented intensive service learning programs: civic education or education for citizenship, personal and spiritual development, critical thinking, values clarification, integration of theory and practice, applications enrichment of content-based knowledge, and maintaining a civil society” (p. 201). According to Astin, one of the outcomes of volunteer service while in college includes “development of critical thinking skills” (1996). He goes on to say that “participation in service-based programs favorably affects persistence in college, interest in graduate study, critical thinking skills…” (p. 16). Kendall found that service-learning programs combine “tasks needed in the community with intentional learning goals and with conscious reflection and critical analysis” (1991). Eyler and Giles found that there are a number of positive effects on students who participate in service learning including, “understanding and applying knowledge, critical thinking” (1999). Terenzini states that “gains in critical thinking are not just a consequence of the instructional process… such gains are a result of class-related and out-of-class experiences” (1993 p. 10). If we trust these touted experts in the field of higher education and student affairs we must believe that service learning and community service can lead students to think and inquire more critically.
Result
Students will show the ability to work on real world problems by participating in service learning.
Assessment
We will measure the success of service learning (community service and volunteerism) through a number of means. We will distribute surveys during the class evaluation process of the Critical Inquiry class each semester. We will look at our participation numbers in service programs prior to the critical inquiry class and after the class has been instituted at USCA to see if the numbers increase. We will measure freshman involvement in community service programs and ask these students why they are participating. We will track the hours of service done each semester. We will look through the CIRP survey and use that information provided to compile a pre-test to see how many students are already involved in community service and see if that number increases during the semester. We could use portable scanners and databases to track the students participating in community service. And we will use the portfolio students are required to complete as part of the critical inquiry class to see if involvement in service learning is increasing the students’ abilities to think more critically.
WORLD OF WORK
Description
The world of work co-curricular activity draws the connection between critical inquiry and the workplace. This is done by providing an opportunity for professionals from various occupations to communicate the value of critical inquiry and critical thinking in their organizations. Students would therefore by able to understand how the concepts they learn in the CI course, as well as the rest of college, are applied in the world of work. This could be done in several ways:
1. Employer panel
· Students in the CI course will attend a panel made up of employer representatives from various occupations and professions. The focus of the panel would be on why critical inquiry is important to today’s companies and organizations and how it is used in the workplace. Employers would emphasize why they seek future employees who possess these skills.
2. Employer Interviews
· Students interview employers including questions that relate to critical inquiry in the workplace.
Rationale
In a recent letter for the On Line Newsletter, June Klees states, “A common challenge that educators face from students is the question “Why do I need this class?” Though we want to believe that students intuitively understand the importance of our subjects, often they do not. Many struggle to relate our disciplines to their lives” (Klees 2010).
On that same theme, a survey by Eduventures asked the question, “what do students value in education?” 72% of freshmen valued professional preparation the highest. As they dedicate the time and finances to obtain this goal, it would seem to make sense that they would want the educational information they are obtaining to relate to that career goal.
Supporting Research
Research seems to support the notion that critical thinking and critical inquiry are extremely important in today’s workplace. Halpern states, “Advances in technology and changes in necessary workplace skills have made the ability to think critically more important than ever before… (Halpern, 1998). Others reinforce this concept. In 2009, Hart Research Associates interviewed 302 employers whose organizations have at least 25 employees from both the private and nonprofit sectors. When assessing today’s global economy, employer response rates were as follows:
- 88% agreed that challenges employees face within their company are more complex today than they were in the past
- 88% agreed that to succeed in their company, employees need higher levels of learning and knowledge today than they did in the past
Additionally, 81% of employers surveyed said colleges and universities should place more emphasis than they do today on learning outcomes related to Critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills. In similar fashion, McLester and McIntire state, “Perhaps not surprising is the finding that employers place much greater value on the applied skills of leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving than on more traditional basic skills such as reading comprehension or mathematics.” (McLester & McIntire 2006)Result
Students will understand the importance critical inquiry & critical thinking play in the workplace.
Assessment
Assessment for this area would be very qualitative in nature. We will distribute surveys during the class evaluation process of the Critical Inquiry class each semester. Questions will assess whether students believe the CI class's focus on critical thinking is something that will help them in their career after graduation.
PEER MENTORING
Description
For the Critical Inquiry class purposes, peer mentoring is defined as the opportunity for upperclassmen (sophomore students) which have completed the CI course to provide mentoring to new freshmen who are currently enrolled in a CI course. This opportunity provides reciprocal benefits to both the peer mentor and new freshmen. Peer mentors will have the opportunity to engage in an immersed learning opportunity through practicing the skills they have previously been taught. Additionally, the new freshmen will have the opportunity to not only learn curriculum content from faculty members, but to observe the CI course skills in action through their observation and interaction with their assigned peer mentors.
Peer mentor participation may be utilized through assistance with the aforementioned CI blogs and community service initiatives, as well as through one-on-one direct mentoring of new students.
Rationale and Research
Tinto (1988) reflected upon Van Gennep’s 1909 anthropological text The Rites of Passage to describe a student’s transition to college. During this process, Tinto stated that to successfully become a member of the college community, students must progress through various stages which include transition and incorporation into the college community. During the transition stage, students begin “to acquire the norms and patterns of behavior appropriate to integration into the new communities of college” (Tinto, 1988, p. 444). The final stage of incorporation occurs when the student adopts new norms and becomes a functioning member of the new community.
Van Gennep’s stages of transition and incorporation therefore correlate with the overall projected goal of student learning as stated in the USCA Quality Enhancement Plan handbook in the following way:
Student Learning Defined. Within the context of the QEP as a requirement for reaffirmation, the Commission on Colleges broadly defines student learning as changes in
• knowledge,
• skills,
• behaviors,
• or values.
In order to assist new students in becoming acculturated to the college community, Walter Wallace (1964) hypothesized that “entering Freshmen are quickly socialized into the prevailing college-student culture by Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors” (1964, p. 304). Wallace’s study of college freshmen indicated that there will be college community guidance from upper classmen in what to expect during this new stage of their life. Therefore, it proposed that peer mentoring be an integral part of the acculturation process for new freshmen into the USCA community to aid in the successful transition and integration of new students as they achieve the student learning goal changes in the knowledge, skills, behaviors and values deemed appropriate to the USCA community.
Result
The result of peer mentoring will be an increased identification and involvement with the campus community for the mentees, and increased learning and skill development for the mentors.
Assessment
A method of pre- and post- assessment survey/questionnaires will be conducted with students selected as Peer Mentors for the CI course. These pre- and post- assessment survey/questionnaires will be used to provide qualitative comparison data between a students level of involvement, or use of, skills previously learned during their freshmen participation as a CI student and the hopefully increased level of use of skills during their sophomore experience as a CI Peer Mentor. Additionally, focus groups can also be conducted with each cohort of Peer Mentors to obtain qualitative data which will provide deeper insight into how they have incorporated CI learned or enhanced skills during their service as a mentor.
Bibliography
Association for Career and Technical Education (2010). What is “Career ready?” Retrieved
February 28, 2010, from
http://www.acteonline.org/uploadedFiles/Publications_and_Online_Media/files/ Career_Readiness_Paper.pdf.
Astin, A.W. (1996). The role of service in higher education. About Campus, 1 (1), 14-19.
Astin, A.W. (1998). The changing Americal college student: Thirty-year trends, 1966-1996. Review of Higher Education, 21 (2), 115-135.
Astin, A.W., & Sax, L.J. (1998). How undergraduates are affected by service participation. Journal of College Student Development, 39, 251-264.
Eyler, N.J., Forney, D.S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1999). Where’s the learning in service learning? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Halpern, D. F. (1998). Teaching critical thinking for transfer across domains: Dispositions, skills, structure training, and metacognitive monitoring. American Psychologist 53(4), 449-55. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Hamrick, F.A., N. J. Evans, J. H. Schuh. (2002). Foundations of Student Affairs Practice: How Philosophy, Theory, and Research Strengthen Educational Outcomes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hart Research Associates. (2010). Raising the bar: Employer’s views on college learning in the wake of the economic downturn. (A survey among employers conducted on behalf of: the Association of American Colleges and Universities). Retrieved February 28, 2010, from. http://www.aacu.org/leap/documents/2009_EmployerSurvey.pdf.
Imperatore, Catherine. “Wikis and Blogs: Your Keys to Student Collaboration & Engagement.”
Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers 84.3 (2009): 30-31. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 February 2010.
Kendall, J.C. (1991). Combining service and learning: An introduction for cooperative education professionals. Journal of Cooperative Education, 27(2), 9-25.
Klees, J. (2010). Why do I need this class? Retrieved February 28, 2010, from http://www.oncourseworkshop.com/Motivation028.htm.
Langhorst, Eric. “After the Bell, Beyond the Walls.” Educational Leadership 64.8 (2007):
74-77. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 February 2010.
McLester, S. & McIntire, T. (2006). The workforce readiness crisis. Retrieved February 28, 2010, from http://www.techlearning.com/article/6544.
Morrison, Keith. “Developing Reflective Practice in Higher Degree Students Through a
Learning Journal.” Studies in Higher Education 21.3 (1996): 317-332. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 26 February 2010.
Storch, Neomy. “Collaborative Writing: Product, Process, and Students’ Reflections.” Journal
of Second Language Writing 14.3 (2005): 153-173. Academic Search Premier. Web.
26 February 2010.
Terenzini, P.T. (1993). Influences affecting the development of students’ critical thinking skills. University Park, PA: National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning and Assessment. (ERIC Document no. ED 372 666).
Yang, Shih-Hsien. “Using Blogs to Enhance Critical Reflection and Community of Practice.”
Educational Technology & Society 12.2 (2009): 11-21. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 8 February 2010.
VI. Faculty Development
“College faculty routinely complain that college freshmen are not adequately prepared for success in their courses. Regardless of whether this is true, it does not change the fact and faculty have a challenge with respect to teaching their students. Because they cannot change the preparedness of the students, the most logical approach should be to consider what it is about their curriculum that is not accessible to their students and consider modifying their pedagogical techniques.” -“Redefining College Readiness”
“To sum up, instructors who do best at teaching critical thinking tend to follow a number of guiding principles. They begin not by deciding what material they ought to cover but by concentrating on what it is they want their students to learn….They search for misconceptions…They encourage their students to think for themselves….They evaluate their students through papers and tests closely tied to the objectives of the course…they try to convey high expectations for the class while giving students confidence that they can succeed.” -Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
Introduction
From its beginning during the Golden Age of Athens, the Western model of higher education has involved the interplay of a committed, well-prepared faculty and a curious, engaged student body. The interplay between these two groups has resulted not only in the development of the modern university system, but also in the vast body of knowledge that the university system has produced. Over the course of the two and a half millennia since the inception of the Socratic Method that lies at the heart of our educational system, new technologies and new ideas have altered the methods by which knowledge is gathered and shared. However, the basic relationship between the groups involved in the process—faculty and students—has remained the same. When it comes to the role of faculty in higher education, then, the lesson of history is clear: “faculty must be at the forefront of defining educational objectives for students and developing meaningful, evidence-based measures of their progress toward these goals” (Dept of Education – Spelling Report).
If the Quality Enhancement Project at USC Aiken is to succeed, a significant and continuing focus must be placed by the institution as a whole on faculty development that supports the Critical Inquiry initiative in all its phases. The participation of a committed, well-equipped, and thoroughly-prepared faculty is the most important single factor in the process of developing, implementing, and integrating a Critical Inquiry course that will significantly improve the performance of USCA’s students—in the classroom, on campus, and in life. To this end, individual faculty members must be motivated to volunteer to teach Critical Inquiry courses. These faculty volunteers must be given the tools and training necessary to not only survive, but thrive, in the CI classroom. And an effort must be made to ensure the participation of faculty members from all areas of the university in the CI experience.
In order to achieve these goals, the QEP initiative should focus on three main areas with regard to faculty:
Faculty Development:
The essential element in implementing a successful CI course is faculty development. Faculty development workshops will be key to providing CI faculty with the tools and training necessary to ensure that the CI experience will be a success for both teachers and students. One common complaint of university faculty is that “freshman students are not adequately prepared for success in their courses. Regardless of whether this is true . . . faculty have a challenge with respect to teaching . . . . Because they cannot change the preparedness of the students, the most logical approach should be to consider what it is about their curriculum that is not accessible . . . and consider modifying their pedagogical approach” (“Redefining College Readiness”). The aim of the CI course is to better prepare students for success at the university - both in and out of the classroom. Faculty development workshops will enable CI faculty to accomplish this task.
Faculty development workshops will target the skills necessary to help participating faculty members compile and deliver course elements that promote the desired Student Learning Outcomes for the CI course. To this end, faculty development workshops will provide suggestions for class meetings and offer ready-made resources that faculty members can use in the course. Elements of syllabus construction will be linked to assessment rubircs and will incorporate CI-SLOs. Additional topics will include incorporating technology and social networking sites into the CI experience. Of great importance to the faculty training process will be to create a faculty consensus on what critical inquiry is, how it can be assessed, and how it can be integrated effectively into subsequent courses that are not CI-specific
A second aspect of faculty training for the CI course is well summarized by Derek Bok, “Many investigators have found that critical thinking and learning in general can be enhanced by giving students problems and having them teach each other by working together in groups . . . Where these conditions exist, the great majority of studies show that participating students make much greater gains over those achieved by classmates studying individually or competing with one another” (“Our Underachieving Students”). To promote the integration of critical inquiry in the classroom experience (post-CI course), the primary instructional mode will focus on crating highly-interactive student groups for whom the goal will be the design of a group project. Therefore, faculty will receive This emphasis will be coordinated with the proposed group project competition whose winner(s) will be recognized/awarded during the Research Day festivities in the spring semester. The art of designing a workshop-based course will be a particular focus.
Another most helpful topic for faculty development workshops will be the current lay of the land for writing and research in high school. High school writing and science teachers should address CI faculty on perceived student strengths/weaknesses.
The structure of these faculty development workshops will be at least as important as their contents. In order to benefit from such workshops, CI faculty must attend. To help ensure faculty attendance, two types of workshops will be held. The first type of workshop will be a short version, focusing on a single topic or a group of closely-related topics. These short workshops will be one full day or two partial days in duration, and pay the attending faculty member $500. The second type of workshop will be a longer version, which is comprehensive in nature. These week-long, comprehensive workshops will cover all of the topics offered in the shorter workshops, and pay the attending faculty member 3.75% of salary.
Flexibility will be a key factor in promoting faculty participation. There must be multiple opportunities for faculty to attend the workshops. The weeklong, comprehensive workshops should be offered in the summer. The shorter workshops should be offered in both summer and in the fall/spring semesters.
Faculty development workshops should be administered through the Center for Teaching Excellence. A mixture of campus-based and outside speakers should be employed. This mix should incorporate compensated rotating workshop leadership opportunities for faculty who taught the previous semester or year.
Faculty Involvement:
The third element in creating and implementing a successful CI initiative is broad faculty involvement. To that end, every effort should be made to involve the entire USCA faculty in the implementation of the CI courses. Ideally, all full-time faculty from all areas and schools should eventually teach a CI course.
To help make total faculty participation reality, strong urging from the administration to the unit heads will be required. Unit heads should be encouraged to establish a regular rotation of faculty members to teach the CI course. In addition, repeated, clear emphasis that the administration will not be prescriptive in its suggestions for teaching the CI course will be necessary. Faculty must have the freedom to approach the goals/objectives of the CI course using their own personal teaching philosophies and styles.
Long-term enhancement of teaching practice
Faculty Inducements:
One of the most basic tenets of economics is that humans respond to incentives and university faculty are no exception. A significant reason for a potential reluctance to embark on new programs is the heavy obligations most faculty already experience in the workplace that include course management, research, service obligations, and committee work. Therefore, in order to ensure broad faculty participation in the QEP, a variety of incentives will be offered. A critical reason for an incentive system is the clear signal it sends to the faculty regarding the support of the USCA administration for the QEP and faculty development.
The first and most important inducement to faculty participation in teaching the Critical Inquiry course, and to undertaking the faculty development necessary to do so, is economic. While the faculty load per semester for the CI course will only be two hours, each faculty member will receive compensation for three hours. The CI course represents an additional "prep" and the additional time will allow faculty to prepare and manage the course.
CI instructors will be required to attend faculty development workshops focused on the teaching of the course and will be essential prior to teaching the CI course. The primary training sessions will take place in the summer as week-long summer workshops. However, as faculty are off-contract during the summer and salary from summer courses is economically important, all faculty will be compensated for taking the training course commensurate with their regular salary. Weekend sessions during the academic year will offer an optional training opportunity to those faculty desiring to be CI course instructors, but unable to participate during the summer.
Non-financial incentives will also be key to faculty recruitment for the CI course. CI instructors will be offered the option to teach the required two one-hour CI courses concurrently, either at the beginning of the term or at the end of the term, to give the teaching faculty member some time off before/after the CI courses. CI faculty will be given priority for course selection and scheduling by their respective unit heads for all non-CI courses during the CI semester.
In addition to economic and scheduling incentives, teaching the CI course must be made as attractive a prospect as possible. For example, the two roundtable discussions required as part of the faculty obligation will be offered in a "retreat" style with attention given to the ambience and amenities. Student "Peer Mentors" will assist the instructors in the CI courses and will be drawn from a pool previously participants who have been identified by faculty for their excellence and potential (link to the Peer Mentor section of the Student Learning Outcomes section and the Implementation section).
Pedagogical Goals
* Develop student understanding of critical inquiry as a process rather than a product
Faculty Development Goals
Institutional Goals
“A mix of individual and collective classroom activities teaches about independence and about interdependence. Group projects nurture negotiation skills, conflict resolution, teamwork, collaboration, and a practical understanding or people from diverse backgrounds.”
Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“…many of our postsecondary institutions have not embraced opportunities for innovation, from new methods of teaching and content delivery to technological advances to meeting the increasing demand for lifelong learning.”
Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
“What is needed in teaching for integration, then, is similar to what is needed in learning: an intentional approach. For faculty, this means systematic reflection on and inquiry into the specific challenges and dilemmas faculty face in the classroom; it means bringing the habits, skills, and values of scholarship to their work as teachers.”
AAC&U/ Carnegie Foundation – “Integrative Learning”
“Learners need both guidance and feedback, from mentors and peers, as they probe the facets of a complex issue and test their own insights against both theory and the experiences of others. And to prepare for the world’s diversity, all students need frequent opportunities to engage in collaborative interaction with people whose assumptions and life experiences are different from their own.”
AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
VII. Assessment
“By and large, colleges are unable to say with any certainty whether students have learned what the professors are teaching….The absence of explicit descriptions of outcomes desired hampers assessment….Without knowing how well students have learned, the faculty finds it difficult to improve education in any purposeful way.”
-Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“When taken seriously, assessment shapes curricula and instructional practice....It becomes predominantly a tool for improvement: to improve learning, teaching, and the curriculum.... Assessment for improvement can have the added benefit of showing external stakeholders the academy’s success in doing its job: educating students.”
-Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“Higher education institutions should measure student learning using quality-assessment data form instruments such as, for example, …the Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress, which is designed to assess general education outcomes for undergraduates in order to improve the quality of instruction and learning.”
-Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
“Diagnostic assessments in the first year of college, and milestone assessments upon completion of ….the second year of college, can help students evaluate their own achievement to date and identify areas of needed improvement.”
-AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“The right standard for both assessment and accountability at the college level is students’ demonstrated ability to apply their learning to complex, unscripted problems in the context of their advanced studies.”
AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“The best possible way to foster … change is to design “milestone” and culminating assessments within the expected curriculum that help students and faculty focus together on the intended level of accomplishment and on what students need to do to improve.”
-AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“Curriculum-embedded assessment, when carefully done, is itself a potential “high-yield” educational reform because, by design, it focuses both faculty and student attention on students’ cumulative progress and actual level of attainment.”
-AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
VII. Assessment
A. Student learning (insert Student Learning Outcomes and Benchmarks chart)
B. Faculty development
C. Assessment of the QEP
D. Feedback on strategies
E. Vertical alignment?
Continuous attention to attainment of learning outcomes – campus culture of achievement
Students learning outcomes
1. CIRP- preassessment
2. PP/MAPP for freshmen
3. PP/MAPP for seniors
4. Writing Portfolio
5. CI course
6. Personal reflection
Faculty: learning outcomes
1. For the training course- basics/skills of teaching CI/CT
2. For the CI course- greater confidence in teaching CI/CT
3. Over the long term- greater integration of CI/CT into other courses.
Assessment Measures
What are the assessment components?
What strategies do they assess?
When will they be administered?
Links to responsible offices or people
Include verbal descriptions of the tests
Include how they will be used for feedback on strategies and QEP
Consider including examples of rubrics and tests
What assessments were used to support the QEP, will they be used again?
Longitudinal data?
Fall 2011
NSSE
CIRP
ETS Proficiency Profile (MAPP) critical thinking questions measure students’ ability to:
*distinguish between rhetoric and argumentation for information presented
*recognize assumptions
*recognize the best hypothesis to account for information presented
*infer and interpret a relationship between variables
*draw valid conclusions based in information presented
Level 2 proficiency (from a section of text)
*synthesize material from different sections
*recognize valid inferences
*indentify accurate summaries
*understand and interpret figurative language
*discern the main idea, purpose, or focus
Level 3 proficiency (from a section of text)
*evaluate competing causal explanations
*evaluate hypotheses for consistency with known facts
*determine the relevance of information for evaluating an argument or conclusion
*evaluate the appropriateness of procedures for investigating a question of causation
*evaluate data for consistency with known facts, hypotheses or methods
*determine whether an artistic interpretation is supported by evidence contained in a work
*recognize the salient features or themes in a work of art
VIII. Implementation
All entering freshmen will participate concurrently in the First-Year Reading Experience (FYRE) and the Critical Inquiry (CI) course during the fall semester (beginning fall 2011). Appendix A presents a timeline for the CI course implementation. Class sections will be limited to 20 students with an instructor and a peer advisor. It is estimated that 30-32 sections of the CI course will be required to accommodate the incoming freshman class. Approximately 15-16 faculty members will be trained each year as CI instructors and each will manage two sections. A limited number of sections will be offered in the spring semester to accommodate new students and those who fail the course in the fall semester. As a general education requirement, students will be required to earn a passing grade in the course. Additional considerations will be given to students in programs for which the additional course could create an academic “overload” such as incoming nursing program students each fall.[1]
In order to accommodate student and faculty schedules, learning and teaching styles and the desire to build a learning community, several choices for the CI course schedule will be offered. The half semester schedules will be offered both in the first and second half of the fall semester.
Other schedule formats may be offered at the request of the instructor, with the goal of encouraging experimentation with more nontraditional styles of course delivery (e.g., hybrid in-person and online course).
B. Course Instructors
A number of studies have found that formal and informal faculty-student interactions can positively affect retention and academic performance during the first college year (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1977 and 1978; Pascarella, 1980; Donahue, 2004; Braxton, Bray, and Berger, 2000; Terenzini, Springer, Pascarella, and Nora, 1995; Reason, Terenzini, and Domingo, 2006). Although many USC Aiken faculty teach the “gateway courses” (e.g., English, math, etc.) that students take during the first college year, getting the USC Aiken faculty involved in the delivery of the CI course will provide additional opportunities for these interactions to occur during the early college experience.
In addition to faculty-student interactions, peer interactions and opportunities to develop relationships with peers early in the college experience can help first-year students adjust to college (Astin, 1996; Bean, 1985; Grant-Valone & Ensher, 2000; Tinto, 1975 and 1988)[2]. Acknowledging this potentially important aspect of the college transition, a Peer Mentoring program will be developed, and Peer Mentors will serve as teaching assistants in the CI courses. Faculty members will have an opportunity to recruit and choose a Peer Mentor(s) to work with their section(s) of the CI course[3].
For this program to have a long-term effect on faculty and course delivery, it will be important for all academic units to participate and, eventually, for all faculty on campus to experience CI training and active participation in the course. Pursuant to our goal of building campus-wide faculty development along with the course, each academic unit will be encouraged to nominate at least one faculty member to teach this course each fall semester with a regular rotation of faculty. Smaller units may be restricted in their level of participation, but will be requested to participate at least every other fall semester. A CI steering committee will be developed to help maximize academic diversity among the CI faculty. Several instructors who will teach the inaugural sections of the CI course in fall 2011 will be identified from the QEP committee and General Education ad-hoc committee.
C. Course Materials
All sections of the CI course will use the selected first-year reading and another course-wide resource on critical thinking/inquiry selected by the group of faculty teaching the course. The second resource should provide a common starting point for discussions/activities related to CI to provide consistency across all sections without restricting or dictating individual class activities or discussions. For example, if the course were offered in fall 2010, all sections would use Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Kingsolver, Kingsolver and Hopp and The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools by Richard Paul and Linda Elder. In this way, instructors would have a common understanding and reference for advancing critical inquiry and a common theme for engaging the students in broader discussions. Because each instructor will have particular academic backgrounds and interests, he/she will not be restricted in their topical approach yet students in different sections will be guided uniformly in the advancement toward higher level thinking skills.
To reach the goals of engaging students and increasing student-faculty interactions, both in and out of the classroom, the CI course will be taught using strategies and techniques that promote active learning. Section II.C. of this report describes the relationship of this approach to course instruction and the university’s mission and vision. Additionally, student focus groups data, collected in spring 2010 by members of the QEP committee revealed that students found classes that involved discussion, hands on learning or problem solving to be most memorable (Add citation).
Further, several studies demonstrate the positive impact this type of course instruction can have on first-year students, but there are also studies that indicate faculty efficacy can benefit from this as well. In some instances, faculty members have been able to transfer active and engaging teaching strategies from a first-year seminar, like the CI course, to other courses they teach (Fidler, Neururer-Rothilz, & Richardson, 1999; McClure, Atkinson, and Wills, 2008). This “spill over,” or being able to apply various teaching strategies to other courses the faculty may teach in their own major, is one of the desired outcomes of the implementation of USC Aiken’s QEP (CI course).
Teaching the CI course may also allow faculty to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with students earlier in the early college experience. Although many faculty members at USC Aiken teach first-year students, and/or serve as First Year Advisors, the demands of teaching and advising do not always allow faculty the opportunity to spend time mentoring students. Ideally, as a result of the CI course, many faculty and students would feel encouraged to seek opportunities to collaborate on research (e.g., mentoring a Magellan Scholar) or community projects. This relationship could benefit both the student and the faculty member, as both have an opportunity to collaborate to create knowledge and share information (Baker and Griffin, 2010).
- Course Curriculum
· Students will demonstrate knowledge of the Critical Inquiry process, and themes and ideas presented in the first-year reading.The CI course will begin with the first-year book discussions at Freshman Convocation. The curriculum for the remainder of the course will be organized around three areas: knowledge, skills, and values. Specifically, the following three learning outcomes have been created to measure learning in these areas:
· Students will demonstrate Critical Inquiry skills through active engagement in the process of Critical Inquiry.
· Students will demonstrate changes in values and behaviors related to their involvement in Critical Inquiry.
Appendix B includes sample activities and assignments that may be used in the CI course[4].
G. Evaluation of Student Learning
The interdisciplinary qualities of the CI course and the engaging assignments and activities that will used in course instruction suggest the need to identify a variety of methods to evaluate learning in the course. The previous section presents the student learning outcomes that have been identified for the CI course; these outcomes will be measured through the development of a portfolio.
CI Portfolio
The use of portfolios has been chosen as a means to evaluate student learning in the CI course because this form of assessment places the emphasis on learning, rather than performance (Bain, 2004). Although there are clear performance outcomes for this QEP, student gains in the CI course are rooted in learning. By creating a portfolio, students will have an opportunity to reflect on and assess their learning, related to Critical Inquiry, in the areas of knowledge, skills, and values. Providing an opportunity for personal reflection of learning can help students toward deeper, more critical and meaningful learning which can later be applied to other classes and/or campus involvement (Davis, 2009; Foote, 2009).
Students will develop the portfolio using the guidelines in the box on the following page. A rubric (Appendix C) has been created to provide CI Instructors with a framework to assess the course portfolios. This rubric will be reviewed annually and modified, as needed, by the faculty teaching the CI course. The rubric will also be used to conduct course assessment; the CI steering committee will recruit portfolio graders to collect and evaluate CI portfolios annually.
Learning Outcomes:
· Knowledge – Students will demonstrate knowledge of the Critical Inquiry Process, and themes and ideas presented in the first-year reading.
· Skills – Students will demonstrate Critical Inquiry skills through active engagement in the process of Critical Inquiry.
· Values – Students will demonstrate changes in values and behaviors related to their involvement in Critical Inquiry.
Your portfolio should include a final statement synthesizing and reflecting on what was learned throughout the Critical Inquiry course. Create a short document articulating a considered response to project activities that are included in your portfolio. Evidence may include electronic copies of papers you have written, research you have conducted, photographs, video, or other artifacts that represent your accomplishments and growth as a student and that are directly related to Critical Inquiry and the Learning Outcomes above. Any items may be used as long as you show a clear relationship to Critical Inquiry.
Reflection
After working hard on something, you learn more if you stop and think about what you did. It is a way to consolidate your gains. Reflection helps you integrate your recent activities with your less recent experiences. It also helps you integrate your experiential learning with course content gleaned from readings, lectures and other sources. Writing down a reflection provides you with a record of what you learned--you can go back and review it years later when you need inspiration.
Your reflection paper will include a detailed analysis of the evidence with respect to the following. Address those questions that are most relevant to your experience in the Critical Inquiry course:
- What is the evidence?
- How does it demonstrate achievement of knowledge, skills, or values related to Critical Inquiry (see the Critical Inquiry Portfolio rubric)?
- How have you demonstrated your ability to define Critical Inquiry and the steps involved in the Critical Inquiry process?
- Where have you described the main ideas and themes presented in the first-year reading?
- How have you demonstrated insight in identifying a problem or issue related to themes in the reading?
- Information has been gathered from reliable sources and is relevant to the selected problem or issue?
- What incisive questions have been developed based on gathered information.
- How have you developed a thorough plan to address the issue or problem.
- How has the CI course helped you develop critical thinking and inquiry skills?
· In what ways can you apply critical thinking and inquiry skills to other courses and/or co-curricular activities?· How have you increased your awareness of diverse perspectives?
· What are some constructive practical alternatives to this artifact?
· Difficulties you encountered and the conclusions you have reached as a result
· Successes you achieved and the new insights you have gained from achieving them
· Things you would do differently next time and why
· Interesting ways your experience relates to previous course work --especially unexpected or conflicting results
· Strong emotions you experienced and why
· What are your goals for growing academically and what is your plan to achieve those goals?
Things you should NOT do in your reflection include:
Appendix A
Critical Inquiry Course Implementation Timeline
(April 2010)
- Session open to any faculty member who might be interested in teaching the CI course.
- Session would include general information about the course, faculty development and expectations, and an opportunity to ask and answer questions.
- Members of Academic Council and the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
- Board formed by the Academic Success Center, in consultation with the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and consists mostly of faculty.
- The board given the charge of guiding course implementation and faculty development and training.
- This workshop is for faculty teaching the CI course in the fall, and provides faculty with an opportunity to: identify any additional course texts or materials, develop and/or norm course rubrics, and discuss and organize class projects.
- This workshop should address the active and engaging pedagogy associated with the CI course.
- Ongoing workshops, development opportunities, and an open forum to discuss and reflect on experiences teaching the course.
Appendix B
Sample Assignments and Activities for the Critical Inquiry Course
Writing Assignments
Journal—Students write a journal entry for each week of the course. Journals work best when students are given some guidelines about what to write. Entries could make connections to the students’ own experiences, ask critical questions about the reading, or simply summarize each chapter.
Sentence Completion—An in-class writing exercise in which students are given a leading statement and asked to complete the thought. (E.g. “When I think about growing my own food, I….”).
Paper—Students take the class reading and tailor it to their own interests.
Outline—Students write a chapter-by-chapter outline of the book.
Webpage or wiki—students make their own page about the book.
Team Writing – Students participate in structured or progressive writing assignment where multiple individuals contribute to the language.
Short Writing / Response – Prior to a discussion, students write reflectively about the intended topic to organize and develop their thoughts and opinions.
Group Projects
Video—Students make a documentary video about issues raised by the readings.
Audio—Students make a radio feature and submit it to a public station or broadcast it on the web.
“Hands On” Projects—Students plant a garden, work with a community group, or build a model.
Brochure—Students make and distribute a brochure educating the public about an issue raised by the reading. For more “literary” books, the brochure could take the form of a short summary or advertisement for reading the book.
Teach-In / Tabling—Students organize a display board or a lecture educating the campus about the reading.
Field Trip—Students visit a location pertinent to the reading. Experience should be discussed and documented in some way.
ICE Activity – Students attend and respond (summary statements, reflective, criticism?) to an ICE event related to the ideas and issues related to the FYRE.
Information Gathering
Survey—Students survey faculty, students, or random strangers about the issues raised by the book. This can become a springboard for launching a discussion of sampling and bias in surveys.
Annotated Bibliography—Students compile a list of reputable sources pertinent to the topic. They must properly format each entry and at least skim each source in order to write a summary.
Library Resources—faculty or library staff gather several books related to the topic. The class divides into small groups, and each group is given a book or several books to preview. They report back to the large group about what they have found.
Current Events—Working alone or in groups, students find news stories related to the book and present them to the class.
Community Organizations—Students find organizations in the area working on issues related to the reading. They glean information from these organizations and report back to the class.
Individual Responses
Artistic Reflection / Response – Students express personal and/or group responses to and explorations of issues relate to the FYRE through the fine arts. Possibilities include literary, visual performance-based artistic responses.
Co-Curricular Activity – Either individually or in groups, students report on or engage in co-curricular activity related to the FYRE topic.
Presentations – Students prepare and present a report on an issues, question or topic raised by the FYRE.
Other
Student Portfolio Self-Selection – Students in each section select the specific content of their portfolio after being presented with a list of potential activities.
Appendix C
Critical Inquiry Portfolio | Rubric
Learning Outcomes:
1. Knowledge – Students will demonstrate .
2. Skills – Students will
3. Values – Students will
Thoroughly describes the main ideas and themes presented in the first-year reading.
Demonstrates insight in identifying a problem or issue related to themes in the reading.
Incisive questions have been developed based on gathered information.
A thorough plan has been developed to address the issue or problem.
- how participation in the CI course has helped the student develop critical thinking and inquiry skills;
- how the student can apply critical thinking and inquiry skills to other courses and/or co-curricular activities;
- how the student has increased his awareness of diverse perspectives.
----
[1] From the document “AssemblyAgenda042809,” “Students in degree programs which require more than 16 credit hours in the first semester of enrollment may complete Critical Inquiry during their second academic semester.”
[2] Additional rationale for the Peer Mentoring program is provided in the “Co-Curricular Engagement” portion of this report.
[3] See the “Faculty Development” section of this report for additional information about Peer Mentor selection.
[4] CI faculty will be encouraged to engage with students in the various course activities, including any course-based out of class projects.
IX. Timeline for implementation
Five year plan for each strategy. Include assessment points.
X. Organizational Structure of USCA
Administrative organization
Include staff-faculty-administration links
Include demographics and makeup of student body
Include both charts and text description
XI. Resources and support for the QEP
Five year budget
XII. Literature
Note: Include Benjamin Bloom, David Bartholomae, Howard Gardner, David Conley
“…students need to know facts, but even more importantly how to interpret and what to do with those facts. Information is transformed into internal knowledge as students apply their understandings to new situations, new problems, and new environments, thereby using their previous learning in challenging ways.” Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“The key to educational excellence, therefore lies not in the memorization of vast amounts of information, but rather in fostering habits of mind that enable students to continue their learning, engage new questions, and reach informed judgments.”
AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“Less than one-half of students who enter college directly from high school complete even a minimally defined college preparatory program…..Once in college, 53 percent of all students must take remedial courses. Those students requiring the most remedial work are the least likely to persist and graduate.” AAC&U 2002 (Greater expectations)
“Children from low-income families are particularly vulnerable to a system that does not send clear signals to students on how ready they are for college. They are the most dependent on the schools to prepare them properly for college success because they are often the first in their families to attend college.” Conley 2007 – “Redefining College Readiness”
“Although the vast majority of high school seniors (more than 90 percent) say they intend to go to go on to postsecondary education, many do not engage in the kinds of educational activities that will prepare them to do well in college (McCarthy and Kuh 2006). For example, almost half study only three or fewer hours per week, well below the thirteen- to fourteen-hour-per-week average of first-year (college) students…” George Kuh 2007, peerReview
“Access and achievement gaps disproportionately affect low-income and minority students. Historically these are the very students who have faced the greatest academic and financial challenges in getting access to or completing college.”
Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
“HSSSE findings suggest that many high school seniors are not prepared academically for college-level work and have not developed the habits of mind and heart that will stand them in good stead to successfully grapple with more challenging intellectual tasks. The senior year in particular seems to be a wasteland: the overall engagement of high school seniors is much lower than of any previous year.” George Kuh 2007, peerReview
“First-year students typically study less, write less, and read less than they thought they would. Both students and institutions must share the responsibility for redressing this deplorable state of affairs. Our studies show that when institutions emphasize certain activities, students are more likely to engage in them.” George Kuh 2007, peerReview
“First-year students typically study less, write less, and read less than they thought they would. Both students and institutions must share the responsibility for redressing this deplorable state of affairs. Our studies show that when institutions emphasize certain activities, students are more likely to engage in them.” George Kuh 2007, peerReview
“Employers report repeatedly that many new graduates they hire are not prepared to work, lacking the critical thinking, writing and problem-solving skills needed in today’s workplaces.”
Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
“Most of the progress in critical thinking – the skill so rightly prized by faculty – seems to take place during the first two years of college, before many students even start their concentration.”
Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
“Most studies show that improvement in critical thinking varies directly with the time students spent studying, the extent to which they participate actively in class, and the amount of discussion they have on intellectual matters outside of class, both with faculty and with classmates, especially those with views and backgrounds different from their own.”
Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
“The effects of participating in high-impact practices are positive for all types of students. But, historically underserved students tend to benefit more from engaging in educational purposeful activities than majority students. Sadly, some groups of historically underserved students are less likely to participate in high-impact activities – those first in their family to attend college and African American students in particular.”
George Kuh- “High Impact Educational Practices”
“while engagement and persistence are positively correlated for all students, engagement has a compensatory effect for African American students relative to white students in that as African American students become more engaged, they also become more likely to surpass white students in the likelihood they will persist.” George Kuh- “High Impact Educational Practices”
“A good education should provide multiple opportunities for students to engage in “inquiry-based learning,” both independently and in collaborative teams. Through inquiry projects, students should learn how to find and evaluate evidence, how to consider and assess competing interpretations, how to form and test their own analyses and interpretations, how to solve problems, and how to communicate persuasively.”
AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“The ability to apply quantitative methods to real-world problems requires a facility and an insight and intuition that can be developed only through repeated practice.”
-Derek Bok ( Our Underachieving Students )
“But in many schools, students write very little and receive no preparation in critical inquiry and research skills. When this foundation is lacking, colleges must play catch-up when it should be their primary task to move students’ skills in analysis and application to a much higher level. New emphasis on the skills essential to inquiry and innovation is needed…in the careful design of first-year and second-year experiences geared to student’s differing levels of preparation and skill…educators need to ensure that every student experiences the excitement and intellectual growth that follows from working to solve real problems.”
-AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“When students have a clear knowledge of the expected outcomes of their education and receive prompt and ongoing feedback on their progress, they are able to take responsibility for their own learning. Under these conditions, not only to they acquire the capacity for self-assessment, but, as they move toward their senior years, students’ own judgments of their work can be expected to match more closely those of the faculty.” -Taking Responsibility
“A human-scale first-year seminar makes anonymity impossible, fosters face-to-face interaction, and fuels feedback. Students who do research with a faculty member spend a fair amount of time with that faculty member; as a result, students learn firsthand how a faculty member thinks and deals with inevitable challenges that crop up in the course of an investigation. Students who do research with faculty also are more likely to persist, gain more intellectually and personally, and choose a research-related field as a career.”
-George Kuh- “High Impact Educational Practices”
“The college instructor is more likely to emphasize a series of key thinking skills that students, for the most part, do not develop extensively in high school. They expect students to make inferences, interpret results, analyze conflicting explanations of phenomena, support arguments with evidence, solve complex problems that have no obvious answer, reach conclusions, offer explanations, conduct research, engage in the give-and-take of ideas, and generally think deeply about what they are being taught.”
-NRC 2002 (Redefining College Readiness)
“When students struggle in entry-level courses, it extends their time to degree completion, a hidden cost of inadequate or inappropriate preparation. Failure rates in some of these courses approaches 50 percent, and while some argue this is the result of poor college teaching, others argue that this failure rate can be explained equally by poor study habits, a lack of understanding of the expectations of college instructors, and deficiencies in content knowledge and thinking skills.”
-Conley 2007 – “Redefining College Readiness”
“The concept of integrative learning inspires, in part, because of its intellectual appeal. The capacity to connect is central to scholarship broadly conceived – whether focused on discovery and creativity, integrating and interpreting knowledge from different disciplines, applying knowledge through real-world engagements, or teaching students and communicating with the public. (Boyer 1990)”
-AAC&U/ Carnegie Foundation – Integrative Learning
Key cognitive strategies “are at the heart of the intellectual endeavor of the university. They are necessary to discern truth and meaning as well as to pursue them. They are at the heart of how postsecondary faculty think, and how they think about their subject areas. Without the capability to think in these ways, the entering college student either struggles mightily until these habits begin to develop or misses out on the largest portion of what college has to offer, which is how to think about the world.”
-Conley 2007 – “Redefining College Readiness”
“Both service learning and experiences with diversity are powerful catalysts for deeper engagement and insight”
-AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
“Less than half of college seniors report that their college experience significantly influenced their capacity to contribute to their communities; only half report significant gains in learning about people from different backgrounds.”
-AAC&U – “College Learning for the New Global Century”
Few faculty members teach to collectively owned goals….There is little internal coherence in curricula or programs, and even less a plan for connected learning.”
-Greater expectations (AAC&U 2002)
“While educators and policymakers have commendably focused on getting more students into college, too little attention has been paid to helping them graduate. The result is that unacceptable numbers of students fail to complete their studies at all, while even those that graduate don’t always learn enough.”
-Dept of Education- Spelling’s Report
Change 0 of 0
<< First < Previous Next > Last >>
Type in the content of your page here.
Change 0 of 0
<< First < Previous Next > Last >>
Type in the content of your page here-